


Teardrops on My Face (Let it Wash Away My Sins)

by Japo_Chan23



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Warriors
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Canon Era, Canon Related, Canon-Typical Violence, Crying, Depression, Domestic Fluff, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff, Guilt, Healthy Relationships, Homophobia, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Bad At Tagging, Internal Conflict, Internalized Homophobia, Linked Universe, M/M, Marriage, Mild Sexual Content, Non-Canon Relationship, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Poor Attempt at Violence, Post-Canon, Post-War, Tags Contain Spoilers, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:48:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 55,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24958621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Japo_Chan23/pseuds/Japo_Chan23
Summary: Link always knew he was going to join the army the moment he could. But he never expected a war to occur over half a year later, and to become the sole factor on whether or not they can defeat Cia's army.It's hard to really want to fight when one of the general's on the opposing side is hot as fuck, though.
Relationships: Ghirahim/Link (Legend of Zelda), Ghirahim/Warriors
Comments: 147
Kudos: 163





	1. Chapter 1

“What was the worst thing you guys have ever done?”    
  
Everyone looked at each other in discomfort, some wincing outwardly, others flinching at the sudden question. It was invasive, and Warriors frowned. 

He knows what the worst thing he did was, and it bugged him everyday, despite the reassurances that his friends and husband gave him that  _ it was okay and that he didn’t need to feel guilty anymore _ . 

“War makes you do drastic things.” He didn’t bother to elaborate on his answer for Hyrule, who only nodded quietly, and didn’t bother pressing the matter on Warriors, before he quickly decided to change the topic to something that wasn’t too much of a sensitive topic, something about the dumbest or ugliest enemy they’ve seen.

Warriors didn’t partake in the conversation, too busy looking into the fire, his elbow rested on his knee, eyes narrowed slightly as he toyed with his dark blue scarf, memories of a pale hand bunching it up flashing through his head.    
  
There was a lot of wrong that he did during the war, things that he regretted, things that haunted his consciousness constantly, things that made him feel like Linkle should’ve been the one leading them. He felt as if the Goddess had chosen him wrongly, that there were other knights that were more deserving of the hero’s spirit, of the courage that he felt he didn’t have. 

The Captain  _ knew _ that war changes people, and he knew that he had to do things to tilt the chances of winning in their favor, but with the war over, the guilt was more than welcomed to come back full force. 

Especially when the source of his guilt lived with him. 

Being taken out of his world and thrown with others who possessed the hero’s spirit wasn’t exactly welcomed at first. All the other hero’s seemed so much more deserving to wield the Master Sword, to wield Fi, and they seemed like someone that was worthy of holding the triforce of courage. Warriors knew Her Grace has chosen all of them wisely. 

All of the heroes were brave and some of them more than others bared the scars to prove it. 

Warriors couldn’t say the same. 

He knew that while he had participated in the war in the beginning, there was a point in time where it wasn’t about the war anymore and it was about gathering information from the enemy. 

The Captain sighed loudly, pushing his blonde locks back as he ignored the confused glance from Legend. 

War was hell. 

And yet, he had met someone so perfect and worthwhile through that war. 

He knew all of the other heroes knew of his… previous engagements with fellow Hylians, how he had never settled down. How some of the men and women glared, huffed, or made heart eyes at him the one time they had even fallen into Warriors Hyrule. 

Warriors knew that, while the others had respected him, some saw him as someone who was way over his head and someone who just spent a little too much time with strangers that he met at the bar after too many drinks. 

The blonde wasn’t ashamed of that fact, really. He knew he was attractive and he knew he had a past of sleeping around. But he wasn’t really comfortable telling the others that he was currently married to a demon lord who had tried, on a couple occasions, to take over the world, before he turned over a new leaf once he got his freedom. 

Yeah, there was no way he would even be able to explain it easily before the others attacked him.

Especially Time, Wind, and Sky. 

Warriors knew that Time and Wind looked familiar, and it wasn’t until Time pulled out his keaton mask did he truly realize who he was- although he did suspect it when he witness the old man wielding the biggoron sword. The Captain recognized Wind immediately, though. It was hard  _ not _ to remember the blue and orange outfit. The two had easily become close friends, since they didn’t have the opportunity to during the war. 

And Sky… Warriors only knew of Sky because of the tales that Ghirahim had told him, on a cold, winter night by the fire. Ghirahim had told him of the first hero chosen by Her Grace, told him of the carefully crafted sailcloth he carried with him, and the majestic blade he carried, which held the sword spirit, Fi, who was equally if not more so majestic than the sword she possessed. Of the trials the hero had endured, how the hero was only a teenager born in the clouds, force to leave for the surface he had only believed to be a myth because of the act of villainy that Ghirahim had committed for his then master, Demise, a creature of pure evil. 

Warriors knew Fi. He fought next to her, remembered vividly how she first reacted to them meeting. He knew how well the sword spirit could fight, but he also knew about how Ghirahim had told him that she was soon put to an eternal rest after the fall of Demise. His husband was surprisingly open and very much willing to tell him everything that had occurred, but then again, that had been hundred of years ago. 

But when Warriors saw Sky, had seen the sailcloth, had heard him murmur the name Fi in his sleep and how he had talked about how magnificent his homeland, Skyloft, was before he migrated to the surface. Well. 

Warriors just knew that he couldn’t introduce them to his husband. 

Not yet, at least. 

He still had some thinking and reflecting to do on his own, afterall. He wasn’t without sin, nor was anyone else. But he still couldn’t bear to tell anyone else about the story of how Warriors and Ghirahim, a captain and general working against each other from different armies of the same war, ended up together. 

He wasn’t ready to tell the others how he had manipulated the demon lord at first, and how that carpet of deception fell from beneath his feet quickly. How he was succumbed to the web of lies he created for himself, how he ruined a relationship he never planned or wanted to be in in the first place.

Warriors sighed internally. 

He missed home. The Captain wanted to go back home to his husband, to cuddle him and to get told that everything was okay, that he couldn’t do anything in war besides what he was commanded to do. He wanted to hear the demon lord tell him that he understood, that he had to do similar things because Ganondorf had his sword and was his master. 

Warriors just wanted to go back to his Hyrule. 

Even if it meant the guilt that came with everything he did. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay i got everything in this fic written out. im gonna make a seperate fic with all the lu shenanigans uwu dont worry


	2. Chapter 2

Link wasn’t enjoying the war at all.

Granted, war wasn’t something one was supposed to enjoy, but he remembered some of his fellow knights talking about wanting to go into battle very strongly sometimes. 

His fellow knights were in all when they stepped into Skyloft, and Link couldn’t help but feel the same. The Captain suspected it to be beautiful, except for the fact that it just looked desolate and destroyed. He wondered if the people here perished. 

Shaking his head, he got that thought out of his head. He shouldn’t think about civilian casualties. That would just make it worse. 

“Woah, Link! I can’t believe it! This island is floating in the sky!” Proxi said, bumping herself against Link’s head. He nodded, not bothering to respond as he rushed into battle along with his fellow knights, fighting against the red bokoblins. 

He heard voices in the distance, but he wasn’t focusing on it. There was a large bokoblin in front of him, he didn’t have  _ time _ to listen to the shouts that came from the knights across the battlefield. Link couldn’t afford to lose Skyloft to the monsters. 

“Is that dragon knight from before in charge of the opposing forces?” Proxi questioned from where she was hidden inside of Link’s blue scarf. Link grunted in response, before whispering to the fairy that he agreed with her statement. She made a high pitched chime. “We can take him!”

Link didn’t really want to take Volga on again, but he also didn’t want to be the chosen hero. He just wan’t lucky enough to get to make choices, apparently. 

“Help, someone!” Link straightened, pulling his blade out from inside one of the bokoblins. “They’re stealing Lord Levias’ soup! It’s vital he gets it!” ‘ _ Soup?”  _ Link thought, his face deadpanned as he stared at the soldier, before he returned back to the battle. ‘ _ If that’s what we need, then whatever I guess.’  _ “We need the soup to persuade Levias to connect the paths for us! Without it…” The soldier trailed. Link was glad that that at least explained  _ why _ they needed soup for Lord Levias. If they could get the path, they could take back Skyloft. 

Too bad that require soup. Link couldn’t help but laugh at the idea in his head. 

“Sounds like we’ve got to get that soup back. Let’s head to the Goddess Statue and help!” Proxi shouted, bumping against his chest. Link couldn’t help but sigh. He was already going to do that, but leave it to Proxi to state the obvious. 

“Link… Master… I wait for you underneath the Goddess Statue…” 

Could he catch a break for one second? Making a sound of annoyance at the chimes that came in his head, he ignored Proxi telling him once more what he already knew. He ignored the cries of help from his men, since they were struggling with the soup. ‘ _ I’ll get back to you after I figure out who’s calling me _ ,’ he thought internally, as he attacked the rest of the bokoblins, before entering the area. 

There was a sword that was in the pedestal.  _ ‘There’s no one here.’  _ He squinted, confused. ‘ _ Didn’t someone say they were here?’ _

Then, with a quick flash from the sword, a blue figured appeared. 

Link stumbled back, confused. She was talking, her lips moving against her blue complexion. His brows furrowed together as he blinked at her, tilting his head as he watched her silently as she rambled. 

When the sword- Fi as she called herself- jumped at him, he stepped back. Her face was close to his, but he didn’t feel her breath against his face.    
  
“Shall I accompany you?” Fi asked, her expression unchanging as she stayed floating in front of Link.

Making a small sound in surprise, he nodded quickly. 

He returned back to the battle, sword readied as he attacked the mob of bokoblins, while Fi assisted the soldiers, carrying the soup to help lure out Lord Levias. 

Link couldn’t really say he was paying attention to what was going on. He saw Lord Levias, but merely nodded in acknowledge before returning to fight the apposing side. He heard from his men that the paths were connected, and he was about to follow them to the darker island before he heard one of his men shout that Ghirahim was making his way to their base. 

Growling, he quickly made his way pass the horde of bokoblins, praying his men could take care of them. 

It didn’t take him long to find Ghirahim on his own, and he ignored the conversation that Fi and Proxi were having. Something about taking Ghirahim on “with pleasure”. Link sighed internally. 

“Oh? What’s this?” Ghirahim turned from where he was standing, his troops behind him working on attacking Link’s base. Link eyed Ghirahim, eyebrows pinching together as he looked the demon lord up and down.  _ ‘Fuck he’s hot _ .’ His heart would’ve been beating faster at the sight of the sword spirit if he hadn’t already been pushing himself to his limit. 

Link glanced to his left, noticing some of his soldiers approaching from his side as they began attacking Ghirahim’s troop. His lifted his sword steadily, bringing his gaze back to Ghirahim. He licked his lips, before narrowed his eyes, waiting for Ghirahim to make the first move. “What is someone as pretty as you doing on the battlefield? Surely you belong in a brothel instead,” Ghirahim said, grinning at the Captain. 

Link made a small noise at the back of his throat. ‘ _ He thinks I’m pretty?’ _ He thought, eyeing the demon lord once more, before he quickly shook his head, vanquishing the thought from his head. He shouldn’t be thinking that on the battlefield, especially after he was just both complimented and insulted. Link was upset at being told where he belonged though. Just because he was a pretty face doesn’t mean he couldn’t join the royal guard. He was still a hero. 

“Man of few words, are you?” Ghirahim licked his lips, and Link shivered at seeing his tongue, though he didn’t let his discomfort show on his face. 

Proxi apparently felt the same way he did from the way the hit his chest repeatedly. “Come on Link! Hurry up and get rid of him! He gives me the creeps.” 

“Your name is Link?” Ghirahim seemed to drop his guard slightly, a look of surprise on his face before it immediately disappeared, replaced by his previous grin. “What a divine name, Link. Do you mind if I call you mine, instead?” He said, raising his thin saber, before he bolted towards the blonde.

Link jumped back, his sword raised to block Ghirahim’s attack, their swords clashing against each other, their faces inches apart. “Link would never be yours!” Proxi shouted, peaking out from where she was residing. Link had a feeling she was glaring at the demon lord. 

Ghirahim jumped back, and Link stumbled forward, before ducking and rolling to the side when Ghirahim went to strike where he was standing. “That fairy of yours is so obnoxious. Why don’t you speak for yourself? I would have assumed you put that mouth to good use, consider you are…  _ Captain _ afterall, no?” Both Ghirahim and Link knew that the demon lord was referencing something besides Link’s role as captain, but Link couldn’t help but get flustered slightly.

The warrior knew Proxi would’ve said something like before, so when Link raised his shield up, he pat at his chest, alerting Proxi that he didn’t need her to serve as his mouth for the time being. Link growled as he pushed Ghirahim back when he struck his shield. Link stood, falling back into his stance automatically. “You wanna find out, doll?” He retorted, sprinting towards his opponent, slashing at Ghirahim’s right. 

Ghirahim dodged quickly, before grinning widely. “He speaks!” The demon lord perked up at hearing Link’s voice. He rushed towards Link once more, sword raised, before swiping at Link’s cheek. He grinned as he managed to scratch Link, some of his blood dripping on the end of his saber. He licked at it, humming thoughtfully. “What a wonderful taste. Are the rest of your bodily fluids as exquisite?” Ghirahim inquired, winking. 

“You never shut up, do you Snowflake?” Link grunted, raising his shield quickly when Ghirahim went to strike once more. He expected Ghirahim to jump back, but was surprised when they were face to face. “Come over sometime and I could teach you how to actually use your mouth for something other than being voluble,” Link said quietly, glaring at the sword spirit. “You run your mouth so much, doubt it does anything else that’ll be worth my time, though,” he spat out, chest burning when he saw the demon lord grin widely at the comment. 

He eyes darted to the side, watching the battle that went on as he was fighting against Ghirahim. No one else seemed to be paying attention to the two. Good. They didn’t need to know about him flirting with the enemy, nor did they need to know about his sexuality. It wasn’t his troop’s business what Link preferred, and he’d rather keep it that way. 

“Oh?” Ghirahim looked around as well, practically purring when his gaze returned to the blonde in front of him. He licked his lips. “I’ll have to take you up on that offer soon, Commander.” Ghirahim winked, blowing a quick kiss, before he continued to attack Link.

“He’s a captain!” Proxi shouted, obviously upset at the banter that had exchanged between the two. Link chuckled when he watched Ghirahim sigh dramatically with a roll of his eyes. 

The fight between the two persisted, but Link had somehow managed to beat the demon.

Well, Link wasn’t really sure he won when he saw the mischievous look that swirled in Ghirahim’s eyes as he disappeared in a flurry of diamonds from a single snap of his fingers, shouting at his fellow general, Volga.

Proxi peaked out from her place in his scarf as he wiped the sweat off of his face with the back of his hand. “What a weirdo, right Link?” Proxi said, blowing a raspberry at where Ghirahim once stood, huffing loudly. 

Link tilted his head, thinking about the words that were exchanged, about the compliments that Ghirahim gave him in between attacks. “Yeah,” Link murmured, touching the scratch on his cheek. “Weird indeed.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to scream at me in the lu discord


	3. Chapter 3

After Ghirahim had disappeared, the battle continued, ending once Link had defeated Volga with the help of Fi. 

Link was tired after everything.

“We need to go to Seal Grounds next,” Fi instructed, standing in front of everyone. Link stood next to her, Proxi flying around his head. “We will head to the surface once everyone is well rested.”

“Aren’t we in the sky?” One of the soldiers shouted from where he laid on his back, armor off. They had set up camp for the night on Skyloft, a fire already lit to fight off the night. “What are we gonna do, jump off the floating rock?”

“We came through a  _ portal _ you idiot-”

Link sighed at the conversation that went out between two of his men. Looking up at Fi, he figured that that was all that needed to be said. 

The Captain walked off, pulling the scarf tighter around his neck as he ventured into Skyloft, Proxi following close behind as he left the camp.

“Where are you going?” Proxi asked, chiming softly.

Link shrugged. “Anywhere. Besides, don’t you want to explore the place?” He asked, gesturing around him. Proxi made a sound of discontent, which just made Link sigh. 

“By all means, the surface world is  _ soooo _ much better than Skyloft.”

Link unsheathed his sword the moment he heard another voice, the tip of his sword at Ghirahim’s neck. 

Ghirahim raised his hands. “It’s just me, Commander! No need to be frightened!”

Link didn’t waver, not moving to sheath his sword. “Why are you here? Give me one reason not to kill you right now,” he threatened, glaring daggers at the demon lord.

The sword spirit sighed, looking down at Link’s sword in disgust. “And I here I thought you would’ve remembered inviting me. You were going to find out how to keep my mouth shut, no?” Ghirahim grinned loudly, stepped forward slightly so Link’s sword grazed his neck. 

Link furrowed his brow. Proxi decided to start speaking for Link when he didn’t respond immediately. “You made a mistake coming here!” She shouted, flying closer to Ghirahim, who just swatted her away, ignoring her remark.

“You came here because of I what I said while fighting you?” Link questioned, tilting his head slightly. He narrowed his eyes at the demon. 

“Yes, is that so hard to believe?”

“Yes.”

Ghirahim groaned, exasperated. “Well, unlike my previous master, the woman Cia does not possess my sword, and therefore does not control me. I am well able to do as I please, which just so happens to involve you, Commander.” Ghirahim quirked a brow at Link, placing his hand on fuller part of Link’s sword. He applied pressure, lowering the sword until Link just let his arm fall to his side. 

Link didn’t want to admit he let Ghirahim do it. 

“Why do you wanna see me?” He mumbled, not stepping back when Ghirahim got closer to him. He squeezed the hilt his sword, licking his lips. “I’m just a captain.”

“Oh, but what a sexy captain you are,” Ghirahim said, placing his hand against Link’s cheek, ignoring when the warrior flinched. He smirked, gaze dropping down to Link’s lips, before making eye contact once again. “You do have such a lovely mouth on you, Commander, do you use it often?” 

Link gulped. “Rarely,” he said quietly, moving his head slightly so he could look behind Ghirahim to see if anyone was approaching. Link wouldn’t be surprised if Fi had left to go out and search for him, having left the camp abruptly. 

“Ah ah ah, keep those pretty blue eyes on me before I take them from you.” Ghirahim had grabbed his chin, forcing Link to look at Ghirahim once more. “I came all this way for you, and you’re thinking about someone else? Do you do this to all of your lovers?”

“We’re not lovers,” Link scowled, grabbing at Ghirahim’s wrist, tightening his grip. “If you had free control over what you’re doing then  _ why _ are you working with Cia?”

“Can I get a kiss if I tell you?”

“No.”

“Then you won’t get to know then, will you, Commander?”

Link glared at Ghirahim, who just stared back with equal intensity, before breaking out in a grin. He removed his hand from Link’s face, prompting the Hylian to let go of his wrist. Ghirahim, as always, had another idea in mind as he grabbed Link’s hand and interlaced their fingers together, squeezing his hand. “Your hands are so soft, what do you use?”

“Nothing, fuck off,” Link said, trying to rip his hand out of Ghirahim’s grasp. 

“Aw, such a shame. They’re so nice too,” Ghirahim said, raising their hands so he could better inspect the back of Link’s hand. “‘Do you mind if I have them?”

“What- you mean my  _ hands _ !?” Link almost shouted, flabbergasted. “I need those!” He whispered angrily, using his other hand to bunch up the fabric of Ghirahim’s clothes as he pushed the demon back, sending the both of them to the ground in a heap of limbs.

Ghirahim grunted when he fell to the ground, shoving at Link roughly to get the Hylian off of him before sitting him, scowling at the blonde. “You’re so impulsive, Link-

“Don’t talk to me,” Link groaned, covering his eyes. He was flustered, but he didn’t want to admit it. He had a war to fight, he didn’t have time to entertain this pompous freak.

"I don't know why you're so upset, you're the one who invited me here," Ghirahim grumbled, raising a hand up to inspect his fingernails. He remained sitting on the ground, not bothered if his clothes were to get dirty. He tilted his head to look at Link, who had pressed the palms of his hands against his eyes, groaning loudly. Ghirahim rolled his eyes. "Some Commander you are."

"I'm a  _ captain _ how many times do I have to tell you this," Link said, unmoving from his current position. Granted, Link was pretty sure it was always Proxi telling Ghirahim his correct title, but the point still stands nonetheless. 

Sighing once more, Link removed his hands, glancing up. Actually, now that he thought about it, where was Proxi? 

Bolting up, he looked around his quickly, eyes darting to and fro before landing on Ghirahim. "You need to leave, like,  _ now _ ," he instructed, looking back towards the way that he came from. 

Ghirahim huffed. "I don't think I will  _ Commander _ , I quite like it here, despite how stuffy it is compared to the surface." The demon watched Link carefully, quirking at brow at Link's expression. 

"No, I'm serious, Proxi isn't here-"

"Oh, your little fairy companion?" 

"Less a companion, more like my voice-  _ stop _ you're getting me off task!" Link shouted, pulling at his hair angrily. "Point is she's gone, and your ugly mug is still here!" 

Ghirahim pouted, crossing his arms. "I'd say I was pretty attractive, you probably just have poor taste," he sighed, before he started tapping his chin. "Though I must say, who would've know a city boy such as yourself would be so attached to a fairy of the forest, hm?"

Link glowered at the demon lord. He was raised in a village, first of all, but Ghirahim didn't need to know that. "Just get out of here. She probably went to go tell Fi and the others that you're here. You're such a nuisance."

"Oh,  _ I'm _ the nuisance." Ghirahim pushed his hair back, before sighing dramatically. "Your little fairy friend is not alerting your darling Fi of my presence, if you must know, she's in a bottle. We're completely fine, thank you very much." To further support his statement, Ghirahim held his hand out, and in a flurry of diamonds a small, glass jar appeared in his palm, with Proxi inside, bumping against the walls of her prison angrily. 

"Proxi!" Link shouted, lunging at Ghirahim immediately as he tried to get her back, only to scowl once he dove head first into more of Ghirahim's diamonds. He turned around, watching as Ghirahim appeared on his first, Proxi gone once again. "Give her back!" 

Ghirahim inspected his nails again, before clasping his hands together behind his back, smiling widely. Link didn't want to think about how similar Ghirahim's grin was to when his sister played a prank on Link when they were kids. "Why should I, hm? She was always annoying, always speaking for you-"

"I want her to speak for me!" He yelled, marching up to Ghirahim angrily once he got back on his feet. He grabbed the fabric of Ghirahim's tights, pulling the demon close to him as he scowled, glaring daggers. Ghirahim remained unaffected by Link's glare. "I don't really like talking if I don't have to-"

"Then why did you speak to me on the battlefield, Link." His question came off as more of a statement, and if Link was being honest, it felt like the sword spirit was accusing him of something. Link narrowed his eyes. "No, really, if someone like yourself hates speaking so much they would not have used their voice to flirt with their enemy. Again, Link, I ask you:  _ why _ did you speak to me?"

Link bit his bottom lip roughly, his gaze drifting away from the demon. He couldn't answer that question. Hell, he wasn't sure why he started talking to Ghirahim. He had never talked to Volga before, or any other person that was working with Cia, so when he had started speaking to Ghirahim, well...

"I'm bisexual," Link said abruptly, looking away. He felt shame bubble up in his throat. He knew his father didn't approve when Link told him, and being sent to priests in their village to 'pray the gay away' didn't really help him growing up, especially with the other methods they had used. "I haven't met anyone who liked... guys.... like I did," he murmured, lessening his grip on Ghirahim's leotard. "I don't know, just give Proxi back, Ghirahim. Please."

Ghirahim looked down at Link with curious eyes and a newfound interest in the Hylian. "Your voice is beautiful, Link. Whatever troubles you, I hope you're able to get pass them and find the courage to use your own words more often. Take care, Commander."

Link watched as Ghirahim leaned forward before he pressed his white lips against Link's forehead before he snapped his fingers, disappearing before Link. When the diamonds vanished, Link stood there quietly, confused as he leaned down to pick up the bottle that Proxi was trapped in, letting her free and watching as the bottle returned to its rightful owner in another flurry of diamonds. 

"Link!" Proxi shouted, bumping into Link's chest. He raised his hand, cradling Proxi slightly. "I was so worried! Are you okay!? Did something happen!?" She sounded like she was on the verge of tears as she flew up to his face, chiming loudly. 

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he said, rubbing his neck. "It's okay. Nothing happened. I'm just glad you're safe," he whispered, smiling. He touched Proxi gingerly, before he rubbed his forehead, thinking. "Let's go back, I'm tired."

Proxi chimed rather than responded verbally, before tucking herself into Link's scarf. 

Link sighed once more.

He’d deal with this in the morning.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Link woke up feeling tired still. 

That feeling continued when he heard some of his soldiers scream about how insane it would be to jump off of Skyloft and onto the surface. 

"Master-"

"Please just call me Link," he interrupted, sitting up as he glanced at Fi. She seemed like she wanted to frown, not exactly please with his request. 

"Okay then,  _ Link _ ," the way his name flowed off of her tongue sounded like acid, "we shall head to the surface immediately upon your command. There we shall find Ghirahim and the Gate of Souls. I suggest we head there now."

Link sighed. "Alright."

Once they all had packed up camp, they had then made their way to the surface, with the help of Lord Levias after they lured him out with pumpkin soup. 

The Captain couldn't help but admire the area around him. It was peaceful, and he wished he had more time to explore the Surface before Hyrule became a thing. Too bad he had a war to fight, and he didn't have the time to explore. 

Link hurried into battle when he noticed the enemy, his allies following suit. He mindlessly fought, not bothering to respond to his allies when they stated something he deemed obvious. 

Proxi chimed from her spot in his scarf. "Ooh, I'm getting chills from some evil presence..." she peaked out, glancing around, surprised when she didn't spot anyone on the opposing side. "Is it coming from our allies?" She asked gently, looking at Link. 

He looked scared. Proxi chimed quietly, in an attempt to comfort Link. It was just a guess, but she knew what she felt coming from their allies. She just hoped that Link would be okay with what was going to happen. 

After impaling one of the larger bokoblins, Link breathed heavily, wiping sweat off of his brow as he looked up, towards his fellow captain. 

"Link!" The Goron Captain shouted once he noticed Link's gaze, "Our allies began to attack us! We don't know what's going on!" He shouted, knocking out a mob of bokoblins that was around him.

"Son of a fucking-" Growling, Link shook his head, brandishing his sword once more in flourish after ripping his sword out of the bokoblin. "Where are they!?" He shouted, his stomach twisting in knots. He hoped he wouldn't have to do the worse, but he knew he had to. 

"Everywhere! Many of the factions are turning against us, we don't know who to trust!" The Goron threw punches at the bokoblins approaching, narrowing his eyes at the soldiers around them as Link ran up to them. 

"We can't fight like this," the Goron whispered to Link, placing a hand on his shoulder, watching as his fellow Gorons get attacked by the Hylian soldiers, "we should flee."

Link growled, watching the mutiny in front of him. Anxiety creeped up the back of his neck, considering the Captain's words, before pushing those thoughts down. "Just shut up and let me handle it. Don't let them take the base." With that said, he rushed towards his soldiers, taking them down quickly without hesitation, adrenaline buzzing in his ears and he tried not to flinch as the blood of his soldiers stained his tunic.

"Link!" The Goron Captain shouted, wanting to run after the hero, but the need to help his men came over his want to follow Link. He prayed to Hylia that Link turned out okay. 

"Someone must be the source of the confusion," Proxi suggested, cowering away from the bloodshed. "We have to find and stop that person!" Link nodded, making his way through the battlefield, his trust in his men dwindling the more he saw them fight against him. "But who could be giving the mutinous orders...? We should check the keeps." 

Link was just lucky when he was passing one of the keeps and just so happened to hear one of the soldiers. 

“We do not serve under a  _ Princess _ !” The soldier shouted. Link saw as bokoblins and other soldiers surrounded the one that just spoke, none of them attacking. “Someone who hasn’t even been crowned a Queen! We shall not follow the orders of a leader no longer present!” The soldier spat out, his lips pulled up in disgust. The soldiers shouted in agreement, raising their swords in agreement. “We shall now follow the orders of an unworthy hero who gained his rank from his looks!” Link scowled at the words, his grip tightening around his sword. Proxi chimed quietly, attempting to calm him down. "Come on comrades! We have to crush the humans' base and we have to crush it now!" The soldiers shouted cheered again, louder than before. 

"I guess we found them," Proxi whispered, burying herself further into Link’s scarf, hiding away from the world. 

She knew what was going to be coming next. The bloodshed of their allies, the tears from Link as he and the other soldiers that haven't betrayed them had to kill those that they trained with. They knew each other, worked together, grew together as they trained and went through half of the war with, and yet there they were. Plotting against them. 

Link had felt his stomach drop and his heart become replaced with stone. 

Proxi didn't watch what had happened, but she knew that once Link found the one who started the mutiny, the Goron Captain, the Goron soldiers, and Fi came as soon as they could.

With Link panting over what he had considered his men, Proxi pretended not to notice the tears that streaked down his face along with his sweat, before he rushed off when a giant monster emerged from the ground. 

They would have time to mourn after the battle, but Proxi wasn't sure if Link would give himself the privilege of doing so.

Fighting the large beast, which Fi said was called The Imprisoned, was hard and frustrating. It took too much time and too much energy, and Link didn’t want to fight it. 

He just wanted to mourn the loss of his soldiers, even if they betrayed him.

After they defeat The Imprisoned, Link wasted no time in heading towards the temple. He wanted to spend at least a couple minutes to mourn what was loss, but this was a war, he didn't have the time to mourn those that betrayed him. 

The Gorons and Fi followed behind him, only stopping to battle the enemy when they got in their way, but Link had made it his goal to push past all of them as quickly as possible so he could get to the Gate of Souls- so he could get to Ghirahim. 

So when he stumbled upon the demon lord in front of the gate, bokoblins around him, he wasn't surprised when the red creatures went to attack him, only to be stopped with a raise of Ghirahim's hand. He summoned his saber, slashing it in the air as he narrowed his eyes at Link. "Greetings, I see you've made it past my trap?" 

"You-" Link felt like he was choking, "-you turned my men against me!?" He shouted, wanting to take a step forward and kill the person who cause the mutiny, but the other part of him yearned to just leave it all behind. 

Ghirahim's shoulders slumped, his demeanor relaxed. "The spell was already set before I had even seen you, there wasn't anything I could do to stop it. The words he spieled towards your allies wasn't my doing, however, so the ones that followed him did so on their own free will. I only turned one of them," he explained, sympathy dripping from every word.

Link shook, his grip on his sword tight as he raised it, breathing heavily. His thoughts were racing and he didn't know what he wanted to believe. Both options just seemed horrible in his opinion. "Why are you doing this?" He asked, eyeing Ghirahim nervously. 

The demon lord sighed. "I wanted something that Cia said she could give me."

"What was it?"

"I don't think that's your business, now is it boy?"

Link saw red after that. 

Maybe from how angry he was, maybe from when he charged forward and the onslaught of bokoblins finally broke from their trance and attacked him, or maybe it was from when he slashed at Ghirahim's arm. 

Ghirahim hissed, jumping back. "No matter how long it takes," he growled out, "I promise I'll blow you to pieces and blow you aside." He threw his cape aside, which disappeared into diamonds, his white appearance changing slightly as his arms became the same color as his saber, some of the color reaching his eyes. 

Link scowled. He didn't speak, didn't feel like Ghirahim had deserved to hear the voice he loved hearing so much, didn't think. He didn't think about his attacks or his moves or about the kiss that Ghirahim had planted on his forehead the previous night, he was just so  _ angry _ . He knew that Ghirahim would do something evil, he knew he was an evil being, but knowing that the demon lord would do something on his own free will- to flirt and tease Link like that, and then proceed to hurt and damage the Captain by turning his army against him?

Link couldn't help it when he started crying when Ghirahim knocked him to the ground and sat on his hips, his arm hardened into sharp, jagged edges which he placed against the Hylian's neck. The bokoblins kept Link's army held back, preventing anyone to come to the captain's rescue. 

"I hate you," Link sobbed out, not moving to try and stop Ghirahim from slicing his throat. “Ghirahim,  _ I hate you _ .”

The look on Ghirahim's face softened significantly. "I know, Link." Ghirahim wiped away Link's tears with his free hand, sighing as the man beneath him began to cry harder at the touch. "I know."

The weight on Link's hips vanished as he watched Ghirahim disappear, leaving diamonds behind. Link sat up quickly, using his scarf to quickly wipe his face, not giving himself time to think over what had just occurred, before he went to help his allies in fighting off the remainder of Ghirahim's army that was left behind. 

There weren't many left, anyways. 

Link sighed, rubbing his face. 

"Master." Link grunted in response, glancing at Fi from where she stood in front of the Gate of Souls. She gestured towards his sword. "Raise your sword skyward, and then swing it down."

Nodding quickly, Link rubbed at his eyes again, before he did as Fi said. He would've been in awe at the power he felt from his sword, from the light it produce when he raised it up, but he just felt empty. When he swung his sword down, he was surprised at the light that came out of his sword that soon entered the Gate of Souls, effectively closing it. 

Link blinked a couple times, tense. 

"Did we win?" The Goron Captain asked, stepping up to Link. 

"We won!" Proxi shouted, flying out from Link's scarf. Cheers erupted from behind Link, and he felt the Goron Captain slap his shoulders proudly, giving out a loud shout of victory. 

Link didn't feel like he won. 

And he couldn't help but notice that the cheers of victory weren't as loud as they were when they took Skyloft back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's only been a week and i already forgot my own upload schedule lmao, sorry for not posting yesterday!! ill post the next chapter on Friday, but next week I'll (hopefully) be back to the Tues/Thurs schedule.


	5. Chapter 5

Not much time had passed since Link had shut the Gate of Souls in Skyloft. 

Fi had asked him if he had shut the gate with Ghirahim in it and Link had confirmed that yes, he had defeated Ghirahim and thrown him into the gate before she instructed him on how to shut it ( _ liar _ ).

He and the remainder of his men had set up a base where he, Sheik, and Lana had split up. Link was the first one back there, but he knew it was most likely due to the fact that Ghirahim went easy on him. That’s what he thought, anyways. Fi and Proxi kept praising him for his techniques, but he just brushed them off.

When Link saw Sheik and Lana again he was  _ very  _ happy, but soon displeased when Sheik was revealed to be Zelda. Her reasoning made sense, but he couldn’t help but feel betrayed by her ( _ at least he didn’t have to kill her too _ ). Link was just glad to be reunited with Lana and Zelda. He wasn’t too upset at separating himself from Fi, either. He didn’t really get the chance to know the sword spirit, but he wish he had the chance to ask her questions. 

Zelda spoke about the Master Sword, and Link couldn’t help the disdain he felt at the idea of wielding it. He just didn’t feel like he was worthy enough to actually wield a sword like that. He may hold the triforce of courage, but he didn’t think he had the hero’s spirit ( _ a hero wouldn’t flirt with their enemy _ ). Link thought Linkle would’ve been a better option. 

“Are you okay?” 

“Why are you awake, Mask?” Link grumbled, placing his hand on top of Mask’s head, messing with his blonde hair when the child took a seat next to the Captain. Link was relaxing a little away from cam by a river with his feet in the water. His tunic and scarf remained on, but he had taken off his shoes and pants. Mask had taken his shoes off and copied Link, moving his feet in the water in an attempt to create a whirlpool. 

Another factor of war, unfortunately, was when Link was returning to his Hyrule after closing the Gate of Souls in Skyloft. As they were returning, they had stumbled upon a small boy in green who wore a yellow mask and wielded a sword twice his size. 

Link commanded his men to find his parents. The boy in green only told him he was an orphan with no where to go. 

The Captain didn’t have much of a choice when he took the child in. His men had gotten ambushed on the way to the original base and the kid was shown to be a formidable foe. Link just wanted to take the kid with him to make sure he didn’t cause trouble and maybe find someone that could actually look after him for awhile. 

“I couldn’t sleep,” the child murmured, fixing his hair as he cuddled up next to Link. They had been traveling and were slowly making their way to where Zelda and Lana said the Master Sword was stashed away. “Nightmare.”

“Wanna talk about it?” Link questioned, wrapping his scarf around Mask, watching as the boy covered the lower half of his face in the blue fabric, shaking his head vigorously. Link hummed, his fingers playing with the fabric of his scarf. 

“Can I ask you a question?” Mask looked up at Link, something glimmering in his eyes with an emotion that Link couldn’t quite place. The child looked… melancholic, yet wistful. Link wanted to shelter Mask and hide him from the horrors of the world, but he was afraid that the kid beneath his arm had already witnessed the ugly things the world had to offer.

“Of course you can.”

“The right thing, what is it?” Mask furrowed his brow, raising the scarf higher to hide more of his face from Link. “If you do the right thing, does it make everyone happy?” 

Link frowned, thinking to himself. His answer probably wasn’t the one Mask was looking for, and Mask probably didn’t want to hear his answer. “Go back to bed Mask. You need to sleep, got a long day ahead of us.”

Mask huffed, but complied, a little annoyed at the fact that Link didn’t answer his question. “Do you want your scarf back?”

“Keep it for tonight. Maybe it’ll help ward off your nightmares.” Link grinned at Mask as the boy nodded happily, trotting off to where his and Link’s tent was. 

Link sighed, rubbing his head. He should probably go to bed soon as well. Sitting there and thinking about the events from the past few days weren’t going to help him, and thinking about Mask’s question wasn’t going to help him that much either. 

“He looks just like you, Link.” 

Link quickly grabbed his dagger from where it laid beside him, pointing it at the sword spirit that was floating lazily in the water. He couldn’t help feeling a little warm at seeing Ghirahim, but that feeling was replaced quickly by anger. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t slit your throat right now Ghirahim,” he threatened, not wavering. 

The demon lord sighed from where he laid in the river before going closer to Link, resting his arms on Link’s legs, getting him wet. The hero didn’t complain, but didn’t react to the touch, or to the fact that he could see Ghirahim’s gem since he wasn’t wearing his typical leotard. “I’m sorry for what happened.”

Link scowled. “If you were sorry you wouldn’t have done that.”

“We’re in a  _ war _ , darling.”

“In a war that you decided to fight in for fun,” Link grumbled, eyeing Ghirahim warily. “I can’t forgive you for making my men betray me. I had to  _ kill _ them, I should kill you right now just for that.”   
  
“What’s stopping you?” Ghirahim looked at Link curiously as he rested his head on his arms, sighing softly, the action causing the hero to stiffen slightly. Ghirahim pinched at Link’s thigh lightly. 

Link bit his lip, looking away from the demon. His hands twitched at his sides, and he couldn’t help the want to touch Ghirahim’s face and just talk to him like they did the night they were at Skyloft. He didn’t want to admit that the kiss that Ghirahim had left him haunted his dreams and he couldn’t help but touch his forehead frequently. “You make me feel wanted,” Link murmured, looking back down at Ghirahim. Link studied the sword spirit carefully, raising his hand so he could rest it on Ghirahim’s head, fingers threading through white locks carefully. “No one looked at me like you did, but… no one hurt me like you did, either.”

“You know how leaders of war can get when you disobey their orders,” Ghirahim sighed. He drew circles into the skin of Link’s thigh, his lips pursed. “I don’t want to hurt you like that ever again, but I know how you feel about me already, Commander.” Ghirahim closed his eyes, checking out from the conversation for a moment as he continued to lazily draw circles on Link, humming softly. Ghirahim cracked his eyes open, looking back up at Link. “The soldier I had manipulated, he was already tainted. He didn’t respect you,” Ghirahim scowled, looking away. “I did as Cia ordered. I reinforced his disrespect for you into hatred. I only tweaked a bit of his emotions slightly. The mutiny, the rest of the soldiers betraying you- they did that on their own free will. I’m sorry.” Ghirahim close his eyes once more, burying his face in arms, hiding himself as best as he could while still remaining in Link’s presence. 

Link sighed as he continued to play with Ghirahim’s hair. He couldn’t take back the words he said to Ghirahim, and he wasn’t going to. He knew, at that moment, he had meant it. Every word, every syllable that had left his mouth when he uttered those three words that were filled with so much disdain and anger for the demon, Link meant it. The Captain sighed once more, raising his free hand ( _ when did he drop his dagger?) _ to grab at Ghirahim’s hand. “It’s…” Link bit his lip. “It isn’t okay, Ghirahim, but… I don’t want you to go away,” he whispered, swallowing. His shoulders were tense. 

Ghirahim lifted his head up, his eyelids drooping slightly. The demon remained silent as he studied Link, before he nodded, mouth tugging upwards into a small smile. “Was the child from before your little brother?” Ghirahim asked as he intertwined his fingers with Link subconsciously. 

“No, he’s just a kid we found. He’s an orphan without a home.” Link thinned his lips, the hand that atop of Ghirahim’s head coming down to cup the demon’s cheek, his thumb ghosting over white lips. They weren’t chapped, and were soft. Smooth. It made him self conscious over his own lips and how different they were from Ghirahim’s. 

“How unfortunate,” Ghirahim murmured. Link’s hand twitched slightly when he felt Ghirahim’s breath, when he felt the demon’s lips move from beneath his thumb. Ghirahim chuckled, and Link couldn’t help smiling at the sound. “Link?”

“What?” Link moved his thumb away, his hand creeping back up to the white locks he was playing with before, He pulled at a few strands, before placing his hand by his side. He was content with just holding Ghirahim’s hand.

“I need to go now. My break is over. There’s been some, ah, new developments, as of late,” Ghirahim said, looking away. He seemed a bit anxious about having to go back, and Link couldn’t help but frown. 

“What new developments?” Link asked, squeezing Ghirahim’s hand. He only wanted to comfort Ghirahim, maybe help him be less anxious, but he couldn’t help the small thought of telling Zelda and Impa of the information he’s about to learn. 

Ghirahim pushed his hair back, grumbling to himself for a moment as he sat up. “Ganondorf has been revived-”

“Are you serious?!” Link almost shouted, but was stopped when Ghirahim placed his hand over Link’s mouth, eyes narrowed. 

“Yes, I’m serious. The reason why you and Her Grace have your pieces of the triforce back is because Cia didn’t want Ganondorf to have the entire triforce. She only wanted it to herself.” Ghirahim licked his lips, removing his hand from Link’s mouth. “His spirit isn’t completely whole yet.”

Link huffed, wiping his mouth. Ghirahim’s hand was wet from the water and it was gross feeling part of his face wet. “Why don’t you join our side? We don’t have to fight anymore-”

“I can’t,” Ghirahim sighed, getting out of the water. He took a seat next to Link, though he kept his distance as he wrapped his arms around his legs, curling into himself. Link pretended not to notice that Ghirahim was sitting like that just to hide his gem. “Ganondorf has taken something of mine and I need it back.”

“I can help you get it back, Ghirahim-” Link didn’t know why he was so desperate for the demon lord to stay with him, why he didn’t want the sword spirit to leave. He had told him how much he hated him, why was he  _ being _ like this-

“Link my dear, you can’t.” Ghirahim uncurled from his ball, grabbing at Link’s hand. The demon leaned forward, his lips brushing against Link’s cheek. “I’ll see you soon, Commander,” he murmured, leaning back. The presence of Ghirahim’s lips on his cheek disappeared, and when Link went to get him back, to keep talking, to fight him, to kiss him,  _ something _ , but he had disappeared. 

Link watched as the diamonds that replaced Ghirahim’s form solemnly. “Bye Ghirahim,” he whispered to himself, alone once more now that the diamonds have disappeared. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i dont even remember writing this fic, honestly. then against, i started this at the end of May and finished it under a month later, so


	6. Chapter 6

When Link awoke the next morning, he decided to stay in bed longer than he needed to. Last night was… Ganondorf was alive, and Link didn’t want to think about fighting Cia and then Ganondorf. He didn’t want to think about the fact that he would have to wield the Master Sword, about the fact that he may or may not be worthy to even wield it. 

He covered his eyes with his forearm, sighing heavily. Mask was still fast asleep on the other side of their tent, blanket pulled up to his chin as he used Link’s scarf as a pillow. 

Knowing that the child was asleep made Link feel better. The kid wouldn’t have to see him when he began to tear up. The stress of everything just kept building up, and he couldn’t help but feel like things were just going to koep getting worse from this point forward. Fighting Ghirahim, hiding these things from Zelda, dealing with the stress of being a hero that was pushed on him. It was just too much and too fast. 

Link choked back on a sob, covering his mouth quickly to try and silence himself. He would wake Mask up if he was any louder, and the kid didn’t need to witness this. He was just a  _ kid  _ for fucks sake. Link hiccuped, wiping at his eyes roughly. When he joined the army he just did it to honor his family, he didn’t do it to be some legendary hero like some of the other soldiers wanted, he just wanted to help people when times got desperate. 

Link didn’t ask to be a hero, he didn’t  _ want _ this, why would Hylia let this happen-

Mask turned over in his sleep, breathing in deeply, before exhaling softly. Link watched the kid silently, his breath held, waiting to see if the boy would awaken.

Moments passed slowly, and when Link finally figured that Mask wasn’t going to get up, he quietly got dressed, and made his way out of the tent. 

He eyed the other soldiers warily as he wiped his eyes, before pretending to yawn loudly. If he just acted like he was tired and just woke up, then it would look like he was wiping the sleep out of his eyes, and not the tears from when he was just crying. 

“Morning Link!” One of the soldiers shouted, waving at the Captain. Link offered a smile, lifting his hand in greeting, but remained silent. Proxi was sleeping by Mask still, so she wasn’t there to be his voice. “Want some breakfast?” 

Link bit his lip, thinking, before he shook his head. He considered going back to the river he was at the previous night, but it might’ve looked a little suspicious. They  _ were _ by a forest though…

Tapping the soldier on the shoulder, he raised his hands, his right hand squeezed into a fist, his index finger pointing at his left hand, which was also squeezed into a fist, before he started flicking his left index finger out. 

“Don’t take too long, Captain,” the soldier said, nodding as he returned back to his meal. Link was glad that some of his soldiers knew sign language, otherwise things would’ve been a lot harder for him. If he didn’t have to, he’d rather not talk. 

Link made an okay sign, before he headed off into the woods. He didn’t really need to take a leak like he told his soldier, but he didn’t need to know that he lied. 

When he figured he was a good ways away from the camp, he ducked behind a tree, before sinking to the ground, his knees close to his chest. He felt the anxiety from earlier bubble up again as his heart rate increased, the tears he was holding back started to flow down his cheeks quickly, sniffling quietly as he cried freely. 

He crossed his arms over his knees, sobbing quietly. “I wish you were here,” Link whispered to himself, hiding his lower face in his arms as he stared at the trunk of the tree across from him. “Everyone puts me on a pedestal and- and speaks so highly of me, and they- I’m  _ not _ someone that can just- I’m a person too, I shouldn’t be expected to solve  _ everything _ -” Link sobbed, gripping his arms tightly, the fabric of his tunic twisting tightly between his fingers. He backed himself up against the tree, desperate to try and take up as little space as he could. 

He bit harshly on his lips as another sob came out, his tears streaming steadily down his cheeks, flowing off of his chin and onto his clothes. He tried to rub the tears away as quickly as they came, but the tears continued to roll down his face at a faster rate. Link gripped his hair, pulling at it roughly, tugging at his sculp as he tried to feel something other than the weight of the world on his shoulders. 

Feeling the strands of hair in between his fingers provided him some comfort, though it wasn't enough for him. Just feeling the tug on his skull couldn't compare to the amount of pressure he had on his shoulders. From the world, fighting Cia, the sudden appearance of Ganondorf, whatever he had with Ghirahim, ending the war, being a holder of a piece of the triforce and potentially having the hero's spirit was just  _ too much _ . 

He didn't  _ want _ this, why would Hylia make him go through this?

Link scrubbed at his eyes angrily in a lame attempt to get himself to stop crying. He had too much thoughts in his head, too many emotions in his heart- he was captain of the royal guard, he shouldn't be crying. He needs to be strong for his people. No one cared about his feelings, anyways. Link was only there to protect and end wars, not to have an affair with the enemy and stress about his future. He needed to worry only about the war. He shouldn't be fucking crying in the woods away from everyone. 

He couldn't be weak like this. "Get it together, Link," he whispered to himself harshly, "you're a solider- a  _ warrior _ , this is trivial. It doesn't  _ matter _ ." He repeated this to himself like a mantra, eyes shut tight as he tugged harder at his blonde locks, strands of his hair separating itself from his skull and attaching itself to his hands, wrapping itself around his fingers. 

"Get your shit together, warrior."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i forgot to update it last night (tuesday) but to be fair,,,,,, im awake at night and asleep during the day, so TECHNICALLY i still think it's tuesday. ta
> 
> also, Wars was signing "leak" in asl. 
> 
> anyways, life update no one asked for: my boyfriend and i broke up a few days ago, and i feel weird about it. i still love him and all, but i just dont want to be with him, if that makes any sense. an old fling of mine wants to hook up again so might just. do thatttt. am i using the notes as a free therapy session? you fucking knowing babes lmao


	7. Chapter 7

Link didn't know how long he was in the forest, but he didn't really mind. Returning to camp was uneventful, and if anyone noticed he was crying or had been out for too long, they didn't mention it. 

The Captain was eternally thankful for that. 

Mask was awake by the time he returned and gave the Captain his blue scarf back, before returning to one of the soldiers he was playing with. Link glanced at Proxi, who debating whether to stay with Mask or go back to Link. He wasn't surprised when she took a seat of his shoulder. He nodded in head in greeting, and she chimed apologetically. 

“When did Mask wake up?” Link asked quietly, moving his head so he could actually look at Proxi. He smiled softly at the fairy.

“Not too long ago. He just finished eating.” Proxi nodded, before she bumped herself against Link’s cheek. “Did you eat already?”   
  
“No, I didn’t-”   
  
“Go eat!” Proxi instructed, and Link laughed, picturing her with her nonexistent hands against her nonexistent hips. 

“Okay, okay,” he said reluctantly, making his way back towards the soldier that he spoke to before his breakdown in the forest. He felt anxiety in his chest as the thought of the soldier knowing that he cried wormed its way into the forefront of his brain. 

He shook his head, trying to get the thought out of his head as he went up to the soldier, tapping his shoulder. 

“Oh- hey Captain!” The soldier said, smiling. “Good to see you’re back! Was awhile, but the food is a little warm still if you want some!” He said, grabbing a bowl so that he could poor some of the remaining breakfast for Link.

Link grinned, quickly signing ‘thank you’ over and over again to the man, which cause the solider to laugh. “It’s no problem Captain! You’re a well respect warrior with amazing skills. Giving you food is the  _ least _ that I can do.” The soldier patted Link’s shoulder as he handed the Captain his meal, before waving to Proxi, who just chimed in greeting.

“Thanks again!” Proxi shouted as Link began to walk away, intending to eat his meal in his tent. Proxi flew around his head, before she found a spot on his head that she deemed worthy of her presence. 

Link entered his tent quietly, sitting down as he began to eat his meal, silently saying thanks to the soldier again for the meal. He was grateful that they had someone who knew how to cook something good in a short amount of time. 

“Do you want some?” Link whispered, raising a spoonful above his head as a offering to Proxi.

Proxi chimed. “No, I don’t really eat like you do.”   
  
Link furrowed his brow. “How do you eat then?”   
  
Instead of answer, Proxi only laughed, chiming loudly as well as she flew off of his head, zipping around the tent quickly. She ventured to Mask’s stuff, moving around quickly, not bothering to make observations, before she went towards Link’s possessions. 

Link watched the fairy zoom around the space around them silently as he ate his meal as quickly as he could. This was the closest form of entertainment he was going to get at the moment without reading, and he was okay with that. Watching Proxi and listening to her chimes passed the time easily, in his opinion. 

It wasn’t long after did Link finished his meal. With a grunt, he stood up, and Proxi took that as indication that he was leaving, so she returned back to her regular spot in his scarf, bumping at his chest before she got comfortable. 

Link moved his scarf slightly so that Proxi could still see as he left the tent. 

The Captain sighed loudly. Another day closer to the end of the war. Hopefully. 

Ideally, Link would just return his bowl to where it would then be washed, and then return to his tent and sort through his things before meeting with the Princess to discuss things and then pack up and continue on their trek towards a better future.  _ Ideally _ .

Link was about to do just as planned, but when he saw something in the corner of his eye in the forest, he couldn’t help but feel the need to investigate what it was when he saw nothing.

Placing his dirty dish by the front of his tent, he warily walked towards the forest, pulling his dagger out so that he was prepared to use it if something came out. He wasn’t sure if he had time to get his sword, and he didn’t want to risk whatever it was getting away, especially if it was a spy of some sorts. 

Narrowing his eyes, he took careful steps, making sure not to step on the foliage of leaves beneath his feet. His hands twitched slightly as he rounded by a tree, tensing immediately when he heard the snap of a twig, and the loud crunch of leaves. 

“Hey!” Link shouted, rushing towards where he heard the noise originate from. He saw someone running away, barely seeing anything else besides their legs as they turned quickly, hiding their identity from him as they tried to lose him in the forest. Link growled, pushing himself as he tried to stop whoever he just caught, adrenaline pumping through his veins. 

Link wasn’t even sure if chasing whoever the fuck this was would even be worth it, but he wasn’t going to risk that.

He heard a small laugh the seemed to echo around him, but Link didn’t let that deter him as he pushed forward, and, amazingly, he had spotted who he was chasing. 

Link felt his heart skip a bit. “Ghirahim?” He murmured, brows furrowed in confusion as he put his dagger away. 

Ghirahim looked wide eyed at the hero, which reminded Link of a deer, actually. 

The Captain stepped forward, intent to touch the demon, before Ghirahim sprinted off beyond some trees. “Fucking-” With a grunt, Link followed suit, but stopped abruptly after he jumped over a bush. 

There were diamonds floating in the air. “He’s gone,” Link whispered, disappointment evident in his voice. Link couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed at the fact as he continued to watch the diamonds dissipate sadly. 

“He got away!” Proxi shouted as she flew out of his scarf, her hue a dangerous red. “We need to-” Proxi turned to look at Link, but her red hue slowly changed back to her normal, white color, as she gave out a confused chime. “Link?” 

The hero was watching the area quietly, now that the remainder of the diamonds have disappeared, his lips parted slightly.    
  
Proxi huffed, before she bumped into Link roughly. She glowed red for a moment, before returning to her natural color. “Hey! Are you paying attention?”

“What, yeah of course I am,” Link grumbled, swatting at Proxi slightly. “Let’s go back to camp. We should be leaving soon.” 

“Fine,” Proxi said, flying ahead. 

She flared red when she noticed the look of longing that Link gave to where they saw the flutter of diamonds. 


	8. Chapter 8

It’s been a few days since Link has seen Ghirahim, and he missed the demon lord. A lot, actually. Proxi seemed to pick up on his mood, but never really mentioned it or talked about it with Link, instead spending more time with Mask. 

Link wasn’t complaining. He felt like spending my time on his own. The idea of having Proxi with him at all times was starting to wear off, and he was just starting to feel suffocating. Yes, he greatly appreciated the fairy for being his voice, but she didn’t need to be around him when he states  _ explicitly _ that he’s going on a walk to get away from everyone. 

The Captain sighed loudly, pushing his hair back. Taking back their land slowly proved to take too much time for a war that the Princess wanted to end quickly. Taking back all of Hyrule would take  _ decades _ , surely. So they were own their way to where the Master Sword was, and then they would be on their way to where Lana said Cia would be. 

It was a long journey, and Link was glad for all the breaks that they were getting. Sometimes they would go a few days without rest, taking only a few hour breaks, before continuing. When they set up camp finally, Link was very much ready to just abandon his duties as captain and just wave Proxi away so that he could go to bed and get a full nights rest. 

Of course, Hylia had other plans for Link, which exclude just a ten minute nap that Link so desperately wanted. 

"Link?" Zelda called out, poking her head outside of her tent. Link spotted Impa inside as well, and he cringed internally, assuming that they were just going to reinforce how important it was for him to be there with them and how they needed to get the Master Sword as soon as possible. Fun. "Can you come here for a second?"

Link sighed, but nodded, making his way towards the tent. Zelda and Impa were the only people he felt like he  _ had _ to talk to, not because he wanted to. 

"What's going on?" Link eyed Impa and Zelda warily, lips tugging down into a frown as he watched the two exchange looks. 

Zelda raised a hand, her mouth opening and closing, as if trying to find the right thing to say, before Impa interrupted Zelda's internal process. "The soldiers have been reporting that they’ve seen you leaving camp at night and not coming back for long periods of time. They have reported this during your time at Skyloft, when you had excused yourself to go bathe by the river, excusing yourself once more to relieve yourself for over half an hour, and on that same day you were spotted running off into the forest, not returning for an estimated fifteen minutes. Can you explain yourself?"

Link immediately thinned his lips, berating himself internally. ' _ You got too comfortable,' _ he thought, curling his hand into a fist. "I had a lot of things to think about. I just needed time to myself."

"No person takes that much time to think about things like that, Link." 

Link scowled internally, wanting to glare at Impa. She was realistic, observant, and very cunning. You would have to be a fool to try and deceive her. "He met up with someone," Proxi said suddenly. Link tensed. He forgot that the fairy was with him on both encounters when he went out on his own and ran into Ghirahim. 

"Do you know who?" Zelda asked, brows pinching together in confusion.

Proxi made a weird chiming sound as she left her spot on Link's shoulder. He wanted to reach out to the fairy and leave, make sure that she couldn't tell Zelda and Impa about his potentially treasonous behavior. Link wished that Proxi could somehow read his mind, that they had some sort of connection where she understood just from his face that he didn't want her to tell them, that it wasn't important for them to know about Ghirahim. 

Proxi, of course, couldn't read his thoughts. And even if she could, that doesn't mean she had to do what Link said. 

"Ghirahim, a general for Cia's army," Proxi said, floating close to Zelda. She chimed happily. "I wasn't there for most of their conversation either times, but Link didn't do anything to detain or capture the General. The other day, when Link went out, had had left to actually think. When he ran out into the woods, he thought he saw someone, so he followed them quickly. Link caught up to them, and it turned out to be Ghirahim, who escaped quickly. Link seemed disappointed and sad when he didn’t get to talk to the General, and put his weapon away when he found out that he was chasing after the General."

Impa glared at Link, her arms uncrossing as she stepped close to the Captain. "Have you been telling our enemy vital information!?" She shouted, her fists shaking. "You are our captain for a reason! We had reason to trust you-"

"Having the triforce isn't a reason-"

"Enough!" Zelda shouted, stepping in between the two, her hands raised. Link huffed as Impa backed off immediately, her angry simmering down slightly at the Princess' command. "Link, is it true that you have been sneaking off to speak to Ghirahim?"

"No." He was sneaking off to think to himself, not to speak to the sword spirit. A small white lie, but it was a partial truth. "I never intended to meet up with Ghirahim. Proxi was captured by Ghirahim and missed when I was trying to detain the general," he explained, resisting the urge to use his hands. Link thought he was shaking, but he couldn't tell. "He is a formidable opponent, and one that I struggle with fighting, hence why he got away. I haven't seen him since."

Zelda thinned his lips. She wanted to trust Link, but this was serious. He could be committing treason against her, and it appeared Impa knew the same thing.

The princess sighed internally.

"Consider this a warning, Link. If it comes up again, if we find out you are committing treason against the royal family and Hyrule, you will be punished accordingly after the war has ended." Zelda didn't need Link dead before she could end the war that Cia started. But afterwards... "Do you understand?"

Link swallowed the lump in his throat. He knew that treason was punishable by death, but they didn't have any evidence of it. Only Proxi's word for what happened. Any other report was just him being gone for a little longer than normal. He needed to be more careful. "Yes, princess."

"You are dismissed."

Link left calmly, but he wanted nothing more than to just ran out of the tent and into his own to comfort himself over what had just occurred. He wasn't committing treason, he  _ wasn't _ . 

The Captain pretended not to hear the argument that commenced between Zelda and Impa after he left. It was technically his business what they were saying, but he didn't even want to listen to them anyways. 

Besides, his attention was more on the family that was flying by his ear. 

A small part of him wanted to swat Proxi away like a fly. 

"Go to Mask," he instructed, entering his tent. "I don't need you around me right now." 

Proxi looked like she wanted to argue with him, but didn't, flying away to go find the Kokiri boy. 

Sighing loudly, he took a seat on the ground, wiping his forehead. There was too much going on, and now he had  _ this _ to add to it. Fantastic. Link was just glad he could catch a break for another day. They weren't moving due to lack of rations, so some of the soldiers had went out to get what they needed. 

Maybe he'd see Ghirahim again tonight. The thought both excited and frightened him. 

On one hand, he gets to see someone that understands him and doesn't expect anything more from him. On the other, the simple act of conversing with Ghirahim could get him killed. "This is too complicated," Link murmured, his fist close to his mouth as he thought.

He wasn't even aware of when he started to bite at his fingers, the only thing alerting him of the action was the sudden pinprick of pain he felt and the saliva that was left on his finger. He scowled, disgusted, as he wiped his dirty hand onto his tunic. It was gross, but he noticed that it had slowly became a habit when he began to dissociate more as the days of war continued. 

Link sighed, laying down. He shifted, placing his arm behind his head and the other over his chest. He needed to be more careful-  _ had _ to be more careful. His life was on the line, and the only reason why Zelda wouldn't have him immediately executed was because he was the key to winning the war. 

The Captain couldn't help but think about how disgusting it was that some of the people on their side just saw him as a weapon that gave them a better chance at winning, something to be disposed of afterwards. 

If he knew that it would go down like this, he would've quit the army when he had the chance. But he couldn't, and dwelling on it wasn't going to change anything. He was a warrior on the frontlines of a war, and that was all that mattered. 

As long as Link helped Zelda win the war, then it was going to be okay. He just needed to cut off all contact with Ghirahim, cease whatever relationship he had with the sword spirit. He shouldn't be interacting with the enemy like this. He made an oath to protect Hyrule, and Ghirahim was getting in the way of that. 

At least, he thinks that the demon lord is. 

Despite everything, though, he felt like cutting ties with Ghirahim was the wrong thing to do. He just hoped that doing the right thing made everyone happy, even if he wasn't. But he didn't matter. Winning the war did, and sacrifices had to be made. 

Ghirahim was just another sacrifice in war, another casualty. As was Link. 

There was no way to fight it. Even if they both wanted to. 

He just needed to do what Princess Zelda commanded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i woke up at 10pm today asdkljfsalkfjs but here's the update at a very late time haha
> 
> i only wake up so late cause i stayed up for like 40ish hours cause i had a doctors appointment and my mom wanted to go to the mall, and i didnt get to bed until 11am this morning. talk about yikes lmao
> 
> anyways!!! hope y'all enjoy the chapter!


	9. Chapter 9

As the day went on, Link fell in and out of sleep. He was restless, and the headache he got each time he woke up kept him from wanting to get out of bed. He noticed Mask and Proxi coming in and out of the tent, to check on him, he assumes, but they never make any conversation. Mask not wanting to disturb Link in his slumber, and Link didn't even feel like talking to Proxi still after she snitched on him. 

Snitched. Proxi snitched on him. Right? 

Shaking his head, Link dispelled those thoughts from his head. Didn't matter, doesn't matter, will never matter. It happened. He couldn't change it. Whatever. 

Standing up, he poked his head out of his tent. It was night, some soldiers by a fire, telling stories it seemed. 

He sniffed the air for a moment, before reeling back immediately. ' _ Bath _ ,' he thought, going back into his tent to grab soap and other necessities, ' _ I need a bath _ .'

Link made his way towards the river he was at the other night. When his fellow soldiers looked at him curiously, he just raised his other clothes up, signifying that he was getting cleaned. 

He didn't leave anything on when he stepped into the water, shivering slightly at the temperature. Link ducked his head under water, getting his hair wet, before he broke the surface of the water with a gasp, pushing his wet locks back. Link couldn't help but think of when he saw Ghirahim in the water last night, chest bare and gem exposed. 

Link touched his chest, where Ghirahim's gem would be. It was weird, thinking about having an object like that attached to your being. Link wondered how the gem made Ghirahim feel, and if it meant anything that the sword spirit allowed the Hylian to see it. 

When Link saw a flurry of diamonds, he couldn't help but smile internally as he scrubbed his arm with a bar of soap. 

"My my," Ghirahim purred, sitting in the grass, on his stomach. He twiddled a blade of grass between his fingertips. "Have the tables turned, Commander."

Link rolled his eyes, ducking down into the river so only his head was above the water. "You can't be here," he whispered, glancing towards the camp. They were a ways away. No one would notice unless they were looking a little too hard in his general vicinity. 

"Why not? I told you I would be back soon," the sword spirit chuckled. "You should sit up, I don't think crouching in the water for long periods of time would be good for your joints."

Link rolled his eyes, but did as Ghirahim suggested, still wary of anyone from the camp seeing them. He ignored the fact that Ghirahim looked him up and down. "Don't you have any shame?" Link grumbled, splashing water at Ghirahim.

The demon's eyes widened, before he disappeared, but quickly reappearing in a different spot, hand over his chest. Link raised a brow at the sword spirit's antics. "How  _ dare _ you, you could've ruined my hair!" He said, pointing an accusatory finger at Link.

"That was the plan," Link said, smirking. He placed his bar of soap back to where it was originally by the rest of his stuff, but made no move to get out of the river. He frowned. "Where were you?"

Ghirahim's attitude changed drastically before he disappeared once more. 

Link nearly screamed when he felt arms wrap around his waist from behind him, but one look quickly confirmed that yes, it was Ghirahim being a little bitch and scaring him, and  _ yes _ it was Ghirahim in the river. 

Link frowned at the fact that they were both naked. 

"I was taking care of business. I technically serve Ganondorf now, so I haven't been able to see Cia, but I did earlier. She's not doing well, in case you're wondering," he said, pulling away from Link. The demon hummed slightly, looking up at the sky. "Do you typically go swimming at night?"

"I was taking a bath," Link corrected, scratching his cheek. "And no, I don't. What has Cia been doing?"

"She was just trying to get more of her strength back. She's weakened drastically since she returned parts of the triforce back to you and Her Grace." Ghirahim tapped his cheek, sighing loudly. "How can you talk about such matters when I'm right here for the taking, Commander?"

"Don't wanna take, thank you very much," Link said lightheartedly. 

"Rude." Ghirahim turned away from the hero, crossing his arms. 

"Come on, don't be like that," Link groaned, rubbing his forehead. He didn't bother to move. "You're being such a drama queen."

"Excuse me? Have you  _ met _ me?" Ghirahim turned to look at Link, huffing loudly. "I  _ invented _ the term drama queen, darling."

"I don't doubt that." Link laughed loudly, but quickly covered his mouth, eyes darting to look at the camp. 

Ghirahim frowned. "What's the matter, Link?"

The Hylian chewed his lower lip as he leaned back slightly, thoughts racing. "I..." the meeting with Zelda came into mind, and his thoughts soon after. The entire day was hard on him, and the reason why was standing right in front of him.

Link wanted so badly to tell Ghirahim everything, but Zelda would kill him if she found out he was talking to Ghirahim. 

But there was no harm if no one told her, right? 

"I was called in to talk to Zelda and Impa earlier," he started, glancing at the water. It was dark, and he couldn't see anything below the surface. "There were reports that I was out for a little too long, and Proxi told them that I've been talking to you."

"Hm, I always knew that fairy was bad news, you should've let me keep her when you had the chance," Ghirahim sighed, rubbing his eyes. He looked... tired. Could sword spirits even get tired? "It is quite complicated, what you're going through, I will admit. I'll leave you alone-"

"No!" Link yelled, startling both Ghirahim and himself. Link knew that this would be bad for him, would ruin him and potentially get him killed after he ended the war, but being around Ghirahim just felt  _ right _ . "Don't go. Please. It's okay. I-" his cheeks turned a bright pink, "-I like talking to you. I can handle what's going on, just... don't leave me alone."

Ghirahim blinked rapidly at Link, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape before he processed what Link was saying, and he nodded curtly. "Of course I won't leave you alone, Link." Ghirahim stepped closer to the hero, his hands placed softly, tenderly, against Link's cheeks, his thumb rubbing his skin gently. "If you insist you can handle it, then I'll trust you, but do be careful," he whispered, pressing his forehead against Link's. 

Link's heart beat rapidly against his chest, his hands going up to grab Ghirahim's wrists. He didn't make any move to removed the demon's touch, only making contact with the sword spirt. Link licked his lips, the feeling of Ghirahim's forehead against his was comforting. 

The feeling of Ghirahim in general was comforting. 

The hero shut up his eyes tightly, his world going dark. He breath in shakily, and he was sure his hands would be shaking if he wasn't holding onto Ghirahim's wrists. 

Link leaned forward, capturing Ghirahim's lips with his own. They were soft and incredibly smooth, unlike Link's chapped ones. Link relaxed significantly when he felt Ghirahim reciprocate, pressing back against the kiss, humming slightly at the contact. Link felt feverish as he applied more pressure, gasping as his hands went into Ghirahim’s white locks, fingers interlocking with the strands of hair. He licked at Ghirahim’s lower lip, before he bit it lightly. 

Link felt like his body was on fire throughout their makeout, with Ghirahim’s tongue making contact with his own and his hands rummaging throughout Link’s body, feeling and memorizing every inch of Link while he was there. 

After a moment, Link pulled away, breathing softly, his eyes shut as he moved his hands to Ghirahim’s shoulder. 

Ghirahim smiled down at Link, white lipstick slightly smudged. "That was certainly unexpected, Commander."

"Oh shut up, you liked it," Link retorted, smacking at Ghirahim's chest lightly. He opened his eyes, glancing at Ghirahim's gem for a moment in curiosity, before looking back up at the sword spirit. 

Ghirahim just chuckled. "I can't deny the truth, now can I?" Ghirahim said as he grabbed Link's chin, tilting his head up to initiate another kiss. 

Link was quick to reciprocate, placing his hands on Ghirahim's face as he felt the demon wrap his arms around his waist. Both were content with the light kisses they were exchanging, the tenderness of it all surprising Link greatly. 

Link felt happy, and like he was doing the right for once. Even if the right thing was considered wrong by Zelda and everyone else. Ghirahim seemed to agree with him, and Link was glad for that. 

And as the night went on, the two beings remained engrossed with the other as Link and Ghirahim exchanged more kisses and playful comments. 

Neither happened to notice the figure that was hidden in a tree, red eyes watching the hero and the sword spirit intently.


	10. Chapter 10

When Link woke up the next morning he felt giddy.

The previous night was bliss and he was glad he got to talk to Ghirahim. Granted, he was still mad at the demon for what had happened at the Sealed Grounds, but he wasn't going to hold it against him, just as the sword spirit wasn't holding it against Link for needing to fight Ghirahim. Orders were orders, and Link didn't want to think about what Cia would have done to Ghirahim if he disobeyed her orders. 

Brushing that thought away, he stretched his arms above his head, arching his back slightly. He hadn't slept that well in awhile. Groaning softly, he relaxed back in his blanket, wanting to curl up and sleep for longer. 

"Link!" Mask shouted, barging into the tent. The Captain skyrocketed, eyes darting to the young child who was panting heavily, Proxi chiming loudly, her normally white glow replaced with a deep red. ' _ Shit _ ,' Link thought, looking back at Mask. The kid looked  _ scared _ .

"What's going on, Mask- what happened?" Link demanded, quickly getting up and gathering his things together. He tried to get dressed as quickly as he could, not bothering to place his hat on. Link glanced at Mask, who just watched, mouth agape. "Mask!" Link shouted, eyes narrowed as he put his sheath in place. He walked up to the blonde, kneeling to get down to his height, and placing his hands on the kid's shoulders as a sign of comfort. "Why're you so scared, what's happening?" He said, quieter than his previous shout. 

Mask sniffled, looking down at his shoes. "Zelda's looking all over for you. She's been shouting at some of the other soldiers, and Impa's threatening them, saying that if they're helping you hide things they'll- they'll-" Mask cried, rubbing his eyes quickly. "I told them you went into the woods-"

Link furrowed his brow, mouth moving as he tried to find something to say. "Why are they looking for me?"

"I don't know," Mask sniffled, tears dribbling down his cheeks. "They were scary."

Sighing, Link pulled Mask into a quick hug, rubbing circles into the small of Mask's back as the kid hugged him tightly, gripping onto his blue scarf tightly. Link whispered small words of comfort as the kid cried. "It's okay Mask, it'll be okay," he murmured, glancing at the entrance to their tent. He wasn't surprised that Zelda and Impa hadn't bothered to check if he was still here. They trusted Mask.

"Don't go Link," Mask choked out, voice muffled. He looked up from where his face was buried in Link's tunic. "I don't want to lose you too."

"I have to, kid, I'm sorry." Link patted Mask's head as he backed out of the hug. He stood up, ignoring the slight ache in his joints. "Where are they now?"

"In their tent," Mask whispered, holding himself. 

"Thank you." Link went to hug Mask again, placing a chaste kiss against Mask's forehead, as he made his exit. He pretended not to notice Mask start to cry once more, and he ignored the fact that Proxi had actually decided to stay with Mask this time, instead of following him like she always did. 

Link didn't acknowledge the stares he got from his fellow men. Some were glaring at him, making snide remarks under their breaths. ' _ What did Impa threaten to do to them? _ ' He though, glancing away. 

He hesitated in front of Zelda and Impa's tent. There was angry whispering. 

Inhaling deeply, he ignored his anxiety and entered the tent, his face neutral. 

The whispering stopped, and Impa and Zelda turned to look at him. Impa was clearly infuriated, her hands balled into fists, and Zelda... he had never seen her look like this. Not even when she was disguised as Sheik did she ever look so terrifying. 

"What the  _ hell _ do you think you're doing!?" Impa shouted, standing tall. Link ignored the urge to cower as the Sheikah woman approached him. "Flirting with the enemy," she scoffed, looking down on him with narrowed eyes, "Lying to your superiors as well. You should be executed-"

"Impa, that's enough," Zelda sighed, massaging her forehead. "Link, what you did was reckless. Ghirahim, a general for Cia's army, is a threat and our enemy. It was foolish to make contact with that demon outside of battle, and to have romantic relations with him no less." Zelda's lips tilted down into a frown, her eyes bore holes into Link's being. He couldn't help but feel so small compared to them. "He is trying to bring back to greatest evil to ever be known, and you're speaking to him like that? He will be Hyrule's downfall, and you're letting him do as he pleases."

"It's not what it looks like, Princess, I swear!" Link said once Zelda was finished speaking. ' _ Fuck, think you idiot, think- _ ' "I have no interest in the sword spirit. He has been telling me useful information in regards to Cia and Ganondorf, and I was waiting until he told me more until I confronted you."

Impa and Zelda exchanged glances. Link felt frantic, he felt like he was on fire. He was lying to his superiors even more, and he was betraying Ghirahim all at once. ' _ Hylia have mercy _ .'

Link swallowed the lump in his throat. "Ganondorf- Ganondorf is alive, but he doesn't have all of his power. Cia is recovering from losing the triforce after she returned out pieces," Link nodded at Zelda, "and she doesn't have any ties to Ganondorf. That's all Ghirahim told me," Link explained quietly, folding his hands behind his back. He didn't want them to witness his hands shaking, see how weak and vulnerable he was.

Impa squared her shoulders, face twisting slightly. "Link, doing what you want without consulting Zelda and I..." she scowled. "Your title as captain will be removed, and you shall be deranked to the position of lieutenant in response to your subordination. Anderson will take over as captain of the royal guard." When Link began to protest, Impa simply raised her hand, silencing him. "You shall continue your relation with Ghirahim, as long your fairy, Proxi, accompanies you. You will report back to us immediately with any and all information you have gathered. When the war is over," Impa narrowed her eyes, "you will return home with a general discharge. You may be needed now, but from what was witness the previous night, you can not be trusted." 

Link chewed on his bottom lip, his eyes burning as he fought the urge to let the tears escape and drip down his chin. ' _ Don't let them see it's getting to you, _ ' he thought, nodding at Impa. "Understood ma'am."

Zelda clasped her hands behind her back, glancing up Impa, before she eyed Link distrustfully. "You are dismissed, Lieutenant." 

Link's cheeks burned with shame as he exited the tent, ignoring Impa's shout for Anderson, most likely to inform him of his new position. Link felt like it was unfair- how did they even  _ know _ what he was doing? Everyone knew not to check on him when he was bathing, who snitched on him? 

It didn't matter now, though. Even if he found who told Zelda and Impa of his relationship with Ghirahim it wouldn't change anything. He was still going to have to betray the sword spirit and bring information to his superiors. 

He sighed. At least is wasn't a dishonorable discharge. He could deal with that. 

Entering his tent, he almost doubled over when Mask jumped at him, hugging him tightly. Link felt the know in his stomach loosen slightly. "Woah- hey there now, I'm alive, you don't gotta jump at me," he chuckled, hugging Mask back.

"What happened? Did they hurt you?" Mask demanded, leaning back to look at Link. The former Captain sighed, but smiled softly at Mask. 

"I'm sorry I worried you, kid. It was nothing though, they were just making sure that I was still doing my job." Link hated lying, but he wasn't going to tell the kid how the only reason he wasn't killed was because he was going against Ghirahim. 

Mask looked at Link suspiciously. The kid didn't really seem to buy it, but nodded anyways. "Don't scare me like that again," he murmured, hugging Link once more. 

"I won't. I promise." 

Link wasn't sure if he could keep his promise for that long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter 10 lets go gaymer
> 
> also yes i forgot to upload on time again ajskdlhflajf


	11. Chapter 11

After Anderson was made aware of his new position, everyone was told to pack up. 

They were going back on the road. Back on their way to the Master Sword. 

Link couldn't help the distaste in his back of his throat at the idea of having to wield it, of what wielding it really signified. Telling the world that he had the hero's spirit, that because of his worthiness to wield such a weapon he was Hylia's chosen hero, someone blessed to do good and vanquish evil. 

Link clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. A chosen hero wouldn't be flirting with someone called a demon, and a hero sure as hell would do something as heinous as going against their kingdom. ' _ Linkle would be a better hero, _ ' he thought grumpily. 

Mask sat perched on Link's shoulders, playing with the former Captain's hair, braiding some of the small strands together. Proxi buzzed around their heads, before landing on top of Mask's head, close to his hat. 

"What do you think the Temple of the Sacred Sword is like?" Mask asked, patting Link's head softly. 

Link hummed. "Hopefully small and simple." He was tired of fighting, tired of this fucking war. He just wanted to be with Ghirahim and Mask, in a small home somewhere. Link flushed at the idea of raising Mask with Ghirahim, but he quickly shook the the thought out of his head. He shouldn't be thinking about Ghirahim anymore. 

"I hope it's pretty," Mask said, humming at the idea. "Are we almost there?"

"Yep!" Lana interjected, walking alongside Link now. "We should be there in a few minutes. It's right up ahead!" 

"Thanks Lana." Link smiled softly at the blue haired girl, who only smiled back at him widely. Seeing her grin reminded Link that just because Zelda and Impa have their problems with him doesn't mean that Lana does as well. 

Just as Lana said, they arrived at the temple not too long after their conversation about it. Much to Mask's disappointment, the place was in ruins and overrun with overgrowth.

"We need to awaken the three sealed statues. Once we do, we should be able to get in and get to the Master Sword," Zelda instructed. She glanced at Link, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Link should be able to wield the sword, should he possess the hero's spirit as we predict. He can prove himself there." Link felt like there was a double meaning to what Zelda said, but he didn't bother trying to think about it- it didn't matter, he was going to get discharged anyways. He wouldn't be able to regain his title as Captain of the royal guard once more. 

Shame bubbled up in his stomach once more. 

The army progressed slowly throughout the temple, the sudden appearance of ghost soldiers not deterring them in the slightest. Link just made sure that Mask didn't use the Fierce Deity's mask (as the kid had called it). Despite how powerful it was, Link didn't trust it, and didn't want the kid to use it in a battle that they could win easily. 

Mask was upset at Link's order, but followed in nonetheless, swinging the biggoron sword around quickly at the ghost soldiers while Link and the others worked on activating the sealed statues. 

Link couldn't help but hope that they failed in the mission to activate the statues. 

Alas, they did activate the three sealed statues, and slowly made their way towards the Master Sword. 

Link was on his own when the Door of Time opened, and when he snuck pass some of the bokoblins and redeads that were there, he was... slightly disappointed at the sight.

He figured the Master Sword would be in a more polished place, but it appeared the overgrowth took this place over as well. There was trees surrounding the pedestal where the Master Sword stood, and grass underneath his feet, where it should've been stone. 

It was now or never. 

Link wished it was never.

Shaking slightly, he stepped up to the Master Sword, shaking his hands slightly as he grabbed the hilt of the sword. He's seen it before, when he had first met Fi, but the lack of change in the appearance shocked him slightly as he began to try to lift the sword out of its resting place. 

It took him several minutes, as if the sword was refusing to leave its slumber despite the fact that Link was slowly removing him. His hands were burning, and he was gasping, sweat sticking to his brow as he struggled to remove the holy blade. 

And when he did, he was less than enthusiastic. 

His hands continued to burn as he held onto the sword, the leather of his gauntlets were burnt and splotched. The palms of his hands were a daunting red, slick with pus as some of his skin on his epidermis was peeled off from the burn, revealing the bright red skin of his dermis, stinging harshly from touch. Looking at how horrible his non-dominant hand appeared, Link didn't want to think about how bad his dominant hand will be afterwards. 

He hissed at the pain, lowering the sword quickly. It glowed with light, and Link glared at it, breathing heavily as he attempted to ignore the burning sensation in his palms, his fingers twitching slightly around the hilt of the Master Sword. 

When he turned around and saw the Wizzro, Link hesitated slightly. His hands  _ burned _ , but... 

He was able to wield the sword for a reason, even if Fi continued to burn him. 

With a loud shout, Link rushed towards Wizzro, swinging the Master Sword swiftly. The sting in his hands continued, the heat of the hilt burning his hand more, but he continued, trying his best as he blocked and evaded the attacks of the Wizzro. 

Fighting Wizzro was different from fighting Ghirahim or Volga. Volga usually talked about how he was going to win, and Ghirahim typically flirted with him. Wizzro was just immensely silent. 

It was unnerving.

Link nearly dropped the Master Sword when the burning got too bad, the hilt covered with the pus that seeped from his wounds. His hand hurt so  _ bad _ how could previous heroes deal with such a sensation? 

"Link!" Mask shouted, standing by the door of time, biggoron sword in hand and his keaton mask over his face. Hundreds of bokoblins lay at the child's feat, lifeless. Link saw the quick rise and fall of Mask's chest as the boy quickly ran over, slashing at Wizzro with his too-big sword. 

Link couldn't help but laugh internally at just how big the sword was compared to Mask as he followed suit, feeling more confident as the two fought the Wizzro. 

It took too long, and Link felt sluggish when they finally defeated the Wizzro. Mask moved his mask to the side, panting, while Link quickly dropped the Master Sword, grasping his hand tightly against his chest. The gauntlet on his left hand was barely there, only wrapped around his forearm, all the leather and fabric that was wrapped around his hand was singed off. 

Link scowled at the Master Sword. If he could he would just put it back to sleep, forget about Fi and just win the war without it. 

But he needed to prove himself to Impa and Zelda. Needed to prove that he was just worth while. 

With a sight, he removed his knight's sword from its sheath. He moved the blade around in his hands, hissing from the pain in the hands. It was a good blade, had a good weight too it. The Master Sword was perfect, but at least this sword didn't burn him. 

Once Mask sheathed his biggoron sword, Link handed the child the knight's sword. He hoped that the Master Sword would fit his sheath. He didn't want to carry it anymore than he had to. 

Gulping quietly, he picked the sword back up, tears springing to the corners of his eyes from the intense pain, but he quickly sheathed the sword, breathing a sigh of relief when he felt the heat of the sword disperse, leaving only blisters and pus behind.

"Are you okay?" Mask asked quietly, grabbing Link's hand, inspecting it. "Do you need a red potion? Ointment? I might have some in my bag," he murmured, not letting go of Link's hand as he used his other hand to rummage around in his pouch, his tongue stuck out slightly. 

Link wanted to deny Mask, saying that he didn't need it, but he couldn't wield a sword with his hands in this state. "A red potion would be nice, Mask, thank you." Mask nodded dutifully, pulling out the item that was just requested, about to hand it to Link before frowning when he saw that both of Link's hands were covered in blisters and pus. 

When Link made a grab at the bottle, Mask quickly shielded it away from the hero, his eyes stern as he pointed at the ground before placing his hands on his hips. 

Link sighed, but kneeled onto the ground as Mask had asked. As long as he got the red potion he didn't care. 

He felt Mask grab his chin, tilting his head slightly, before he felt the bottle press against his lips, and the smooth texture, partnered with the horrid taste, of the red potion slid over his tongue and down his throat. Link swallowed the potion dutifully, though he wasn't too ecstatic about taking the potion from Mask. 

When he felt the bottle leave his lips, he sighed, glancing at his hands. It was still red, and there was still some pus and blisters that lingered on his fingertips, but for the most part the palm of his hands were healed. Great. 

"Is that going to happen all the time?" Mask asked, his brow furrowed. He looked confused, and like he was thinking about a million things as he looked between the Master Sword and the damage that remained on Link's hands. 

"I hope not," Link grumbled, standing up. "Are you tired?" He asked gently, watching as Mask rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. Mask's face twisted slightly, lips tugging down into a frown, before he nodded slightly, as if not wanting to admit it.

Chuckling slightly, Link removed his sheath and crouched once more, getting up only when he felt that Mask was on his back. He hooked his arms under Mask's legs, the knight's sword that was in Mask's hands still hit his chest slightly. Link had to get that to one of his men as soon as possible. 

"Do you know where Zelda and Impa are?" Link asked, grabbing his sheath. It was uncomfortable to hold it while also holding onto Mask, but it'll work until he met up with someone that could carry their swords. 

"They might be with Lana by the entrance already," Mask said, resting his chin on Link's shoulder. He made grabby hands at Link's sheath, and when Link noticed he couldn't help but laugh loudly at the action, but quickly handed it over to the kid when Mask started to smack his chest. 

"Alright, alright, off we go," Link said, hosting Mask up a little bit as he quickly made his way back to the entrance of the temple. It was strange seeing this place as a temple, but he wasn't going to disrespect it or anything like that. 

When Link found Zelda, Impa, and Lana, he forced as smile. Lana grinned and waved, Zelda nodded at his presence and Impa just crossed her arms over her chest. Link winced internally. "Did you get the Master Sword?" Zelda questioned, looking at the sheath that Mask was barely holding. The poor kid was already fast asleep. Lana walked forward, taking the sword and sheath from Mask quietly, trying not to disturb Mask. She went behind Link, where he then assumed that she was trying to removed Mask's sheath. 

"Yes. Wizzro appeared, and Mask and I took care of him quickly," Link explained, leaving out the details of the Master Sword burning his hands. He frowned. "I don't know how Wizzro got here. I hadn't seen him at all until after I unsheathed the Master Sword from the pedestal," Link explained, shifting from one foot to the other. He heard Lana struggling slightly with trying to get Mask's sheath off, so he tried to stay as still as possible.

Zelda furrowed his brow. "That's impossible. Wizzro was sealed away when Impa and I closed the Gate of Souls." Zelda looked at Impa, who nodded slowly, placing a hand against her chin as she thought to herself. 

"Link, do you think it possible that Ganondorf had something to do with Wizzro's return?" Impa asked, eyeing the warrior warily. 

Link thinned his lips. "Maybe. I'm not sure, but I wouldn't put that idea aside."

Zelda sighed. "When you next see the demon, question him and then explain to us in morning what he says." With that being said, Zelda went atop her horse, nodding at Link once more as she turned around, and walked off, Impa by her side who instructed the rest of the force to follow. 

Link sighed, turning his head slightly to try and look at Lana. "What do you think Lana?"

"I think this sheath sucks ass," she grumbled, before she  _ finally _ got it removed from Mask. She smiled excitedly at Link as she pointed at the sheath, jumping up and down slightly. 

Link laughed, but smiled along with her. "I think you're just bad at taking off sheaths."

"One of the reasons why I don't use a sword," Lana said, pointing at her book as she began walking. Link followed suit, looking around him at the soldiers that were silent or talking quietly. He wished they could get a break for another day, but he knew that they were wasting time. 

Link had a war to fight, and they were so close to finishing it. 

He just wanted it to be over with as soon as possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't forget to update!!! But oh man I'm gonna be honest guys, it's been awhile since I wrote this, and I don't remember writing it at all lmao, so I've been reading bits and pieces of it every now and then.
> 
> I did play Hyrule Warriors recently since I got it emulated, but that was after I already finished writing this lol and there's one part that I was like "wait a minute THAT'S what actually happened??????" like it was weird lol but too late to change it. besides it's an au anyways, so my rules 
> 
> thanks for 1k hits tho guys! I really appreciate it :0


	12. Chapter 12

Zelda had allowed them to make camp when the sun began to set. 

They had set out for the Temple of Souls where they would soon confront Cia. They had gotten far, and with a few more hours they would finally be able to approach Cia and end the war with her. 

And then start another one with Ganondorf. 

Link groaned internally, before he left his position by the campfire, entering his tent where Mask laid, sleeping soundly. He smiled softly, stepping over to the child and kneeling so he could push Mask's blonde locks aside for a moment so he could press a kiss to his forehead. 

With a sigh, he stood back up, looking around for a moment as he debated on whether or not he should change and go to bed or stay up and read. 

Deciding on the former, he began to take off his scarf, his tunic and chainmail followed shortly after. As he was removing his socks and shoes, he felt arms wrap around his waist as warmth enveloped him. Link stiffened, reaching to pull his dagger out before he glanced down, seeing remnants of black diamonds flying into disappearance. His heart skipped a bit as he relaxed into Ghirahim's arms, titling his back against the sword spirit's shoulder. 

"Hello Commander, hope I wasn't intruding," Ghirahim whispered, kissing Link's cheek, causing the Hylian to hum quietly. "How have you been? Decent, I hope."

Link rolled his eyes, removing himself from Ghirahim's grasp as he moved to take his spot on his blanket, patting the spot next to him, which Ghirahim took despite his frown. "Better now that you're here," Link said, grabbing Ghirahim's hand, leaning on the sword spirit. He didn't really care about the fact that he was shirtless, the two had been swimming the last time they saw each other. 

Ghirahim chuckled, leaning his head against Link's. "How is it going with hiding our relationship from Your Grace and her loyal guard?" Ghirahim asked, moving his finger slower against the back of Link's hand.

Link huffed. "It's going fine. They don't suspect a thing." ' _ Liar.' _ "How's it going with Cia and Ganondorf?" Link furrowed his brow, clicking his tongue. "You said you were working for Ganondorf now though, right?" 

Ghirahim groaned. "Unfortunately, yes.  _ So _ much worse, Commander, the man doesn't give me as much freedom as Cia once did. He only summoned myself and Zant, though, I’m not sure you’ve met the man though. Volga and Wizzro still work for Cia, those two are immensely annoying, I’m glad I don’t have to work with them anymore, but Zant is a maniacal little shit," Ghirahim complained, waving his free hand around carelessly. "Ganondorf is a greedy bastard for thinking he needed more reinforcements when he has the literal demon lord working for him," Ghirahim said, before sighing loudly. Link hit Ghirahim lightly when he saw Mask stir in his sleep, which only cause Ghirahim to laugh against Link's head. 

"Isn't the saying 'the more the merrier'?" Link said, smirking at Ghirahim, who just looked down at him, mouth agape in disgust and horror. 

"How  _ dare _ you assume you would even  _ need _ more to be merrier when  _ I'm _ here?" Ghirahim placed a hand over his covered gem, feigning offense. "My dear Link, I'm truly hurt."

Link couldn't help but snort. "You're such a prissy bitch!" He laughed, letting go of Ghirahim's hand and sitting up so he could slap the sword spirit's shoulder. 

"Excuse you! I'm  _ that _ bitch, not some prissy, uptight bitch!" Ghirahim huffed, crossing his arms as he flipped his hair, glowering slightly before he cracked a grin at Link as they both erupted in a fit of laughter. Ghirahim leaned against Link as they tried to stifle their laughter, which they almost succeeded in doing until Link glanced back at Ghirahim, giggling once more as he collapsed, Ghirahim followed suit and landing against Link's chest as he chuckled quietly. 

When they heard Mask groan and shift, they immediately quieted, Link placing a hand against Ghirahim's mouth while Ghirahim covered Link's mouth with his own hand, both of their eyes darting to Mask.

They anxious waited, not moving an inch and barely breathing as they watch Mask move again, before relaxing, seeming content in the current position he got in. 

The Hylian and sword spirit sighed in relief, and Ghirahim relaxed against Link's chest, head underneath the hero's chin. "That was too much anxiety for one night," Link mumbled, placing his hand on Ghirahim's head so he could play with his white locks. 

Ghirahim nodded. "Agreed." The demon lord sighed, before he rolled off of Link, trapping the Hylian's arm underneath him, causing the man to grunt and hit the demon softly. "Oh you hush," Ghirahim said, but sat up anyways so that Link could free his arm. Once Link did, Ghirahim laid back down on his side, propping his head up with his arm. "There, better?"

"Much," Link said, looking up at Ghirahim. He reached a hand out to touch Ghirahim's face, cupping his cheek softly, using his thumb to caress the demon lord's face. Link hummed, trailing his hand down Ghirahim's face, down his neck (where he paused briefly, considering), before he sat up, brushing his hand against where Ghirahim's gem was. It was covered by the man's sweater. Link was surprised that Ghirahim actually wore something  _ besides _ that stupid leotard, but that leotard didn't really leave much to the imagination anyways. 

Ghirahim sat up as well when Link touched his chest, grabbing the Hylian's wrist. "Dont," he murmured softly, Link barely hearing the demon lord's request. 

Link sighed, leaning forward and placing a chaste kiss against Ghirahim's lips. He pulled back slightly. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, resting his forehead against Ghirahim's. The sword spirit place his hands on Link's hips, pulling the Hylian into his lap. 

"It's okay," Ghirahim whispered, his hands roaming Link's chest, going up and down his sides and sending shivers down Link's spine at Ghirahim's cool touch. Ghirahim hummed once more before he dropped his hands, resting his head against Link's shoulder.

Ghirahim pressed a kiss against Link's shoulder, before he moved up, placing kisses on every spot of Link he could. "Ghira," Link murmured, pressing a hand against the sword spirit, who continued to kiss his body gently, going back to Link’s shoulder. The sword spirit licked the Hylians shoulder, kissing it before he bit Link’s skin, the taste of sweat on his tongue as his bite harshened on Link’s flesh, not stepping when he heard Link’s quiet moans and hands grip onto his shoulder.

Ghirahim couldn’t help but grin as he felt Link’s finger intertwine with the fabric of his sweater. Humming, Ghirahim kissed at the mark that he left on the juncture between Link’s neck and shoulder, licking it slightly. It was a dark purple, covered in saliva. Ghirahim kissed the mark once more, before he went back to kissing the rest of Link’s body, intent on marking the Hylian as much as he could.

"Ghira, hey," Link laughed, leaning back slightly, pushing at Ghirahim slightly to get the man away from his body without actually having to leave the demon lord’s lap. Ghirahim pouted, but reluctantly stopped, which made Link laugh a bit more, before he looked at the demon softly. "We shouldn't be doing this, Mask is asleep."

Ghirahim huffed. "Fine, but I'm expecting a rain check on it then."

"Of course." Link smiled, and tilted his head slightly. His smile slowly disappeared when he remembered that since Zelda and Impa found out, he had to get more information from Ghirahim. 

"What's wrong Commander?" Ghirahim cupped Link's cheek, his brow furrowed as he examined Link's face. 

"I... are you okay?" Link asked, his brow furrowing as well. He shook his head. "Sorry- I just, working under Ganondorf... how- what is he making you do? Are you okay?" Link asked. He was, truthfully, worried about Ghirahim and he knew under different circumstances he wouldn't have bothered asking what Ganondorf was doing to the sword spirit. 

But he wasn't under different circumstances. And he had to do as Zelda commanded. 

Ghirahim scowled. "He's been making me do everything. Ever since he got the last piece of his soul he's gotten more powerful and is making threats against Zant and me. Saying if we don’t obey, we shall perish again," Ghirahim explained, touching Link again, his hands roaming the Hylian's chest once more as the sword spirit licked his lips in thought. "When he summoned me, he assumed I had died like Zant had done many years ago. The Twili didn’t see too happy about working under Ganondorf, though."

Link rubbed his forehead before he pushed his hair back with a sight. "Why is he threatening you?"

"To make sure we do what he wants," Ghirahim rolled his eyes, "He wants me to go to Death Mountain and take over and 'take care' of the Gorons there. I've been pushing it off, the Gorons have helped me long ago, and I refuse to partake in their demise," Ghirahim grumbled, resting his forehead against Link's shoulder. He finally stopped exploring Link's chest, and wrapped his arms around Link's waist. 

"What does he have of yours that's so important, Ghira?" Link asked hesitantly, anxiety swirling in his blood as the lump in his throat thickened. 

Ghirahim grunted. "Something."

"Ghira, please-"

" _ Link _ . Drop it."

Link sighed, patting Ghirahim slightly. "I'm sorry."

"I know."

"I missed you."

"I know. I missed you as well."

"When do you have to go?"

"Desperate to get rid of me so easily?" Ghirahim joked, shaking his head against Link's shoulder. "And here I thought that you were starting to like me."

Link chuckled. "Maybe, but I'll never admit it, your ego is big enough."

"Full offense you overgrown walnut-"

"Did you just call me a walnut?"

" _ Maybe _ ."

Link laughed loudly, and Ghirahim joined him as he grabbed the Hylian's face. Link grabbed Ghirahim's wrists, his laughter dying off as Ghirahim leaned forward, capturing Link's lips in a kiss. 

Link giggled slightly into the kiss, causing Ghirahim to huff, but smile nonetheless. 

The night continued slowly, and Link fell asleep soon after, wrapped up in Ghirahim's arms and his warmth, the feeling of Ghirahim's chest against his back bringing him comfort. 

When morning came, the weight against his back was gone, the spot in his bed cold.

Link got up silently to report to Zelda, despite how much his heart hurt to do so.


	13. Chapter 13

Link’s heart ached terribly and his hands blistered horribly. 

Going behind Ghirahim’s back and telling Zelda everything relating to Ganondorf and Cia made Link feel dishonest towards Ghirahim, but he was being honest and loyal to his country and his people. He shouldn’t be feeling guilty over one person. One sacrifice for the safety of many is more important. Betraying Ghirahim so that he could save the future of Hyrule was okay. It was fine. There was nothing wrong with doing that. He was just trying to help end the way and save Hyrule.  _ It’s okay _ . 

Right?

His morals were askew, he knew this. If they were perfect he wouldn’t be in the army, he would be in a fairy tale story that depicted him as the perfect hero to ever exist, sword prepared for war, but never bringing it down unless truly needed. That was not Link. 

But there were many things that Link was. 

Link was a bisexual man who was forced to leave home to visit biased priests who never pulled their punches. How they were always telling him how  _ wrong _ he was, how he was a disappointment to their Goddess Hylia and all that she stood how. How he was disgusting and that he needed to pray his imperfection and flaw away before anyone else found out and disgraced their village and dishonoured his family. When the priests never cured him of his “illness” he was forced to visit local mages, where he was then strapped down and shocked repeatedly. He never got over his fear of thunderstorms, over his phobia of lightning. When he returned home he didn’t have to feign his attraction to girls, but ignoring his attraction to boys made it hurt even more. Having to  _ hide  _ who he was  _ hurt _ . 

Link was also a soldier, trained ruthlessly in preparation for a war that hopefully never had to occur. He had quickly rose through the ranks throughout the years. He was drafted early on, entering the army as soon as he could legally. Link trained relentlessly, spending most of nights drenched in sweat as he pushed himself to his limits so he could be worthy of protecting Hyrule and its people. He wanted to prove to himself that despite everything he was told growing up, he could be honorable and graceful. 

But he wasn’t. 

“Ganondorf’s soul is complete,” Link said once he had entered Zelda and Impa’s tent. He resisted the urge to clench his hands into fists, but didn’t bother to hide how tense he was. His just was clenched tight. 

Zelda placed a hand over her mouth while Impa glared at the ground. “The barrier broke after you unsheathed the Master Sword?” Impa asked, looking up at Link. She was no longer glaring, but her lips were tugged down in a scowl. 

“I think so, yes.”  _ ‘How does a barrier being broken even look like?’ _ He thought to himself, shuffling his feet slightly. “Wizzro appeared shortly after I pulled it out, so it must have broken without me noticing.”

“Did you find out how Wizzro escaped from the Gate of Souls?” Zelda asked, still not over her shock of finding out that that last piece of Ganondorf’s soul had returned to him. 

Link bite his lip. “When Ganondorf’s soul completed itself he summoned Volga, Wizzro, and Ghirahim back.” Saying Ghirahim’s entire name felt weird on Link’s tongue. “He’s been ordering them around and threatening to send them back beyond the Gate of Souls if they don’t do what he says.”

Link was a dishonest man. 

“What has Ganondorf’s plans been?” Zelda demanded, her hands clasped behind her back. 

“Ghirahim didn’t tell me.”

Link was a liar. 

Impa huffed. “You’re dismissed Lieutenant.” 

Link left as ordered, and returned to his tent. He was so tired, and he hoped he could get a little bit of sleep in before they had to continue to the Temple of Souls to fight Cia. Mask and Proxi weren’t there, so Link was left to his thoughts. 

The hero sighed as he glanced at the Master Sword- at Fi. He grabbed the sheath, making sure not to touch the sword directly. Not just yet, anyways. 

Link settled down on the blankets he had laid out on the ground, his legs crossed as he placed the sword across his legs. He felt the power roll of of the sacred blade easily, and if he was being honest, it scared him. Link stroked the blade, fingertips ghosting over the leath of the sheath. The Master Sword was calling him,  _ begging _ him, to use her, to wield her and vanquish evil once again. Link swallowed the lump in his throat as he shakily grabbed the hilt of the sword, grip tight as he closed his eyes and unsheathed the sword quickly. 

His hand didn’t burn as much. 

The heat from the blade was present, but it didn’t burn through his skin and blister his hands horribly like it did when he first unsheathed the blade. Link glowered, his grip on the sword tightening. This was so unfair. Why was it, that when he felt he was almost at his happiest, did Fi burn him so much?

Link was a devastating mess with an undefined moral compass,  _ why _ wasn’t he getting burned now? 

“I know you’re there Fi,” Link murmured, examining the blade. He felt its power, felt what it could do. He couldn’t help but feel like by wielding it he became more powerful as a person, like the energy inside of the sword was going through his own being. “Why do you keep hurting me?” He whispered, his grip on the hilt loosening, before the man sighed. 

Fi didn’t answer him, her silence unnerving. 

Link clenched his jaw, shaking slightly. “Fi,  _ please _ -” Link begged, looking down at the Master Sword, expecting a response of some sort. He never received anything, and he wasn’t sure what exactly he was expecting, but he just wished that someone could tell him what he was doing. He wasn’t sure if what he was doing was right or wrong, he just wanted to  _ know _ . 

The hero growled, placing his head against the blade, breathing ragged. 

No one was going to tell him anything. He was going to be discharged, he was already deranked, he was going to lose  _ Ghirahim _ \- 

Link wiped his eyes. He was in war, he couldn’t tear up and cry. Not again. He couldn’t show any weakness anymore. He was a hero, for fucks sake, and he had the Master Sword to prove it. Even if he was going to be discharged, even if the Princess and her body guard looked down at him in disappointment, that wasn’t going to change the fact that he had the hero’s spirit, that he had the triforce of courage. Surely that had to mean something. 

The Master Sword was  _ powerful _ , and he was courageous. Together…

Together he could take on Cia on his own. 

Maybe then he could regain the trust of Zelda, regain the respect from Impa and his fellow men, and become captain of the royal guard once more. His position as lieutenant may be a high rank still, but it paled in comparison of his former rank. Link needed that rank back as much as he needed the trust and respect of Zelda, Impa, and his men. 

Maybe he’ll be able to win without having to fight Ghirahim and hurting him even more. Link knew that things could be right between him and Ghirahim if he could just do this one thing fix everything. If he can sneak out and go to Cia on his own and beat the evil sorceress, then everything would go back to normal.

It had to. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my god i missed two updates im so sorry akdsljfhakdjfh ive been busy watching legends of tomorrow and rick and morty LMAO sorry sorry kjadhf
> 
> ive also been busy writing the angst fic (im almost done with it!!!!) so that's cool, but anyways ill post this one now, on tuesday, and then ill post the last two updates i forgot tomorrow and the day after
> 
> thank y'all so much for the continued support!
> 
> (also i know that this isn't how it went down in Hyrule Warriors, but this is an au and i can do whatever i want)


	14. Chapter 14

The first thing Link noticed was the abundance of pictures of him that decorated the place. 

The second thing he noticed was the onslaught of bulbins that were herded in the corridor, waiting for the Zelda’s attack. They didn’t seem prepared for Link’s one man army, though, as he quickly took them down with a slash of the Master Sword, his lips quirked up in a smirk and something chaotic glimmering in his eyes.

He felt giddy as he watched the bulbins back away. 

“A sword is just a tool for the weak to swing around. Only fools and men put confidence in them.” 

Hearing Cia’s voice, Link quickly turned around, sword raised quickly as he prepared to defend himself against the sorceress. He hesitated, though, when he noticed just how similar Cia looked to Lana. 

Cia tilted her head, having no shame as she looked Link up and down, studying him. “Desperation...” she stepped forward, her staff clicking loudly against the floor. “Impurity…” she stepped into Link’s personal space, her chest pressed against the blade, her breath intermingling with Link’s. “Fretfulness...” she whispered, pressing a hand against Link’s cheek as she giggled. 

Link snapped out of his daze when Cia had touched him, jumping back, his eyes wide. He was alarmed. He didn’t know why he let Cia get that close, why he didn’t feel  _ scared _ at having the woman be so close to him-

His musings were interrupted when Cia giggled again. “This darkness nurtured within you…” Cia hummed, stroking her staff slightly as she eyed Link happily, raising her staff. “It’s so wonderful, Link.” Link watched as magic swirled within her staff, raising his sword in preparation. Cia sighed, yet her smile never wavered. “Nevermind that though. Wherever this darkness came from, whoever caused it- it shall be your undoing!” 

When he saw the black magic escape from its confines within Cia’s staff, which just looked like a weird mist, Link swung his sword down, expected a beam of light to leave the blade. 

It didn’t, and he wasn’t able to move quick enough when the magic went through him. He fell to his knee, a hand clutched over his heart as he clutched his tunic, his grip tight as he breathed heavily. He felt  _ violated _ . Whatever just went into him chilled him to the bone, and he struggled to breathe. 

Hearing footsteps behind him, Link gulped as he turned around. He furrowed his brow in confusion at what appeared to be… a dark version of him, but he didn’t have much time to dwell on it when it continue to approach him. Slowly, daunting him.

It was overly confident. 

Shaking his head, he tried to stand up, his limbs shaky. He felt like he was submerged in jelly, trying to make his way out. Link’s head felt fuzzy as he raised his sword once more, but fell over when the Dark Link approached him, and merely raised its leg, kicking the hero over. 

Link grunted when he hit the ground, dropping his sword upon impact, his cheek pressed against the floor. He felt so  _ weak _ . 

“You’re pathetic.” 

Snapping his head up, he stared at the Dark Link in shock as it crouched down. It grabbed his chin, pulling his head towards him. Link winced, gasping slightly as he clawed at the Dark Link’s hand, pulling it away and trying to pull his head away, to no avail. ‘ _ How is it so strong?’ _

The Dark Link chuckled, and Link felt anxiety creep up his spine as he watched two other dark Links come out of the shadows. The grip on his chin increased, and Link winced at the pressure on his jaw. “You can’t even use your words, can you?” It laughed loudly without any humor. It’s attentioned went back to Link as the other shadows approached the two. Dark Link moved Link’s head, examining his face. “It’s no wonder that you were deranked and ridiculed.”

Link grunted, pulled his head away. Dark Link allowed him too, and Link felt back on his ass. He didn’t have a chance to recover before another Dark Link gripping his hair tightly, yanking it to pull his head back. Link’s hands went up to Dark Link’s hand on reflex, not thinking about the fact that his hat fell off. “Fuck off,” Link grunted, pulling back slightly. When he felt the tug on his skull, the feeling was familiar, yet unwanted. The tug would continue if he kept resisting, but the headache it would cause would prove to be a handicap when he got the Master Sword back. With that thought in mind, Link backed down, scowling. 

“Awh, he’s got a little bark to his bite,” Dark Link said. His free hand went to cup Link’s cheek harshly. Link felt pressure apply too close to his eye from Dark Link’s thumb, the rest of his fingers putting pressure along his cheek to his neck. It was discomforting as Dark Link dug his nails into Link’s skin. “Do you want a treat?” Dark Link mocked, laughing as one of the other Dark Link’s appeared by its side, revealing the Master Sword that Link had dropped. 

Link gasped at the sight, all thoughts of trying not to get a headache thrown out the window as he pulled, trying to get his hair free from Dark Link’s grasp as he clawed and scratched at Dark Link’s hand, ignoring his pride and shame that made its home in the back of his throat. 

The Dark Link holding the Master Sword grunted. “Restrain him,” it ordered. The one holding Link’s hair didn’t move, but the one that had previously gripped his chin moved behind Link, sitting on his legs as he grabbed his arms, locking them behind his back. 

“Do anything and I rip your arms out of their socket,” it threatened, whispering in Link’s ear. Link shivered. He didn’t enjoy feeling Dark Link’s breath against his ear. 

The Dark Link that was gripping his head walked to the side, before he forced Link to move his head up, revealing his neck. The Dark Link with the Master Sword grinned wickedly. “Impa would be happy to know that you were finally executed for your crimes against Hyrule,” it chuckled, stepping in front of Link. 

It pressed the Master Sword against Link’s neck, applying the slightest pressure and causing blood to dribble out of the cut it made. “You know,” Dark Link murmured, “It’s no surprised we’re here. With all that messing around you’ve been doing with Ghirahim, you got enough darkness to form all three of us,” Dark Link chuckled, his eyes crinkling slightly from how wide he was smiling. Link could feel his eyes water as he shut them tightly, praying in his head, asking Hylia for forgiveness for every wrong that he did, for not listening to his father and priests when they tried to right him, begged her to get this over with quickly and give him some sort of mercy. 

The Dark Link pulled the Master Sword away, touching Link’s neck, thumb stroking the cut it caused as it stepped back to admire its handy work with a smirk. 

Link growled at the Dark Link, before his expression was soon replaced with shock as he felt the Dark Links restraining him get knocked back, his hair falling back in his face as a blue barrier surrounded him, making everything outside of it have a strange hue. 

When he saw Lana manifest inside the barrier, he could’ve cried. 

“Stand firm, Link!” Lana shouted, nodding at Link as the barrier slowly dissipated. Her book was held close to her chest, her eyes narrowed at the Dark Links. 

Link looked to the side at the same time as another Dark Link, eyeing the Master Sword silently for a moment before they both dove for it, Lana preventing the other two from following Link. 

Dark Link would’ve gotten to the Master Sword first if a giant, orange fist hadn’t swatted it away, where a hammer than proceeded to slam itself onto Dark Link’s head. It slowly melted into the ground, becoming a shadow once more. 

Link shivered at the sight as he picked up the Master Sword. It burned slightly, but not enough to burn through his gauntlets again. ‘ _ Good _ .’ 

Link turned, about to go back into battle before Midna grabbed him with her hair, holding him back to witness the others take care of Dark Link. 

Mask had put on his Fierce Deity’s mask and was taking care of one of them alongside with Lana, while Fi and Impa took care of the last one. 

Without him.

The shame that was in the back of his throat grew throughout his body as Midna let him down, his face flushed in embarrassment. He looked away, grinding his teeth together. 

When it was over and the last Dark Link dissolved back into the shadows, Mask quickly took off the Fierce Deity’s mask, tossing it roughly into his bag before running to Link, jumping at the man and causing him to fall over. 

“You promised me you wouldn’t scare me again!” Mask shouted, burying his face into Link’s shoulder. “You promise!” Link sat up, wrapping an arm around Mask. Link sighed, and watched as Lana sat down next to him and wrapped her arms around him as well in a hug. 

Link chuckled slightly. “I only have two arms, so if anyone else was planning on joining in on the hug you missed your chance,” he joked, wrapping his free arm around Lana, who was sniffling quietly. 

Impa stared down at Link. “Real strength only comes from knowing your weaknesses, Lieutenant. Be wary for future battles.” 

Link swallowed, but nodded. He heard Darunia grunt and Midna laugh loudly. There was an unfamiliar chime as well, but one he recognized nonetheless. He almost forgot that Fi was there as well. 

Glancing down at the Master Sword, he sighed. It was a dangerous weapon and he shouldn’t be the one to wield it. He  _ knew _ he was a bad choice, he  _ knew _ that someone like Linkle would have been a much better candidate to wield the Master Sword. 

Yet here he was. 

Link wasn’t sure how Lana and Mask could love him so much despite all the wrong he’s been doing lately. Link sniffled, tears flowing down his cheeks steadily. “Fuck, I love you guys,” he whispered, tightening his grasp around the two, causing both of them to start crying more than they already were. 

Even though they still had to defeat Cia, that could wait for another day, and the other soldiers knew that. 

So they didn’t interrupt the trio, and allowed them their privacy as Link mumbled incoherent apologies in between sobs while Mask and Lana tried to comfort him through their own tears. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also yes ik this isn't how it went down in hyrule warriors either but like i said, it's an au i get to do what i wanttttttttttttttt
> 
> also i forgot most of everything i wrote alkjdfhaklfjahsf i just wanna post it all at once lmao
> 
> ive been reading so much rick and morty fanfiction lately tho adklhafkjsadhfas i just want more adult sci fi cartoons but im bad at looking;;;;; besides i like some of the characters :((


	15. Chapter 15

The Valley of Seers was unsettling. 

Link couldn’t help the shiver that ran down his spine at the sight. It was so unlike the Hyrule he grew up with, the bright blue skies that he gazed at dreamily, the vibrant greens of the forest and flora that surrounded his village. There was just so much life wherever he went.

The Valley was a like a kick in the gut. The trees were dead, branches curled in on itself, the sky dark with clouds a disgusting shade of red, as it predicting the bloodshed that was about to occur. The dirt they walked on was bare of any grass, of any life. 

It made Link feel sick. 

The ground beneath him was uneven, the terrain changing. Alternating between running on stone and dirt was never pleasant, but he couldn’t really complain. He didn’t really  _ want _ to complain either- the war was close to being over. 

At least, as close as it could with Ganondorf on the rise. 

Holy shit. The war was almost over. Link’s chest felt heavy at the thought. The end of the war just made him feel so light and happy. He could have things go back to normal, or he could make his own normal. 

His spirits rose slightly as they ventured through the Valley of Seers, Mask and Lana by his side. The two insisted, not wanting to leave his side, and he was grateful for the fact. He really appreciated Lana and Mask. They were more family than some of his actual family members. 

Link was glad he had them. 

“Everyone!” Zelda shouted, gaining the attention of her men. “If we make for the sanctum, we can take back the sacred power!” She ordered, her saber already unsheathed as they prepared for the final battle with Cia. 

“May we bring glory to Hyrule!” Impa shouted, causing an eruption of roars from their army. With a nod, Zelda then ran into the battlefield, everyone following suit and running in different directions, preparing to take back the sanctum.

"Lets go, Link!” Proxi shouted, despite the fact that Link was already running into battle, slashing his way through the stalchildren who approached him slowly. 

The stalchildren weren’t what worried him. It didn’t take him long to figure out that Cia had all the enemies in her army that she could. Stalfos, lizalfos, anything. It got on Link’s nerves when a stalfos pushed him to ground for the hundredth time, but he got past it. 

Eventually. 

When they finally took over the last sanctum, Link was by Lana, panting heavily as sweat dripped down his face. He felt drenched. He was running back and forth, trying to protect everyone. He didn’t pay attention to when some of his men fell, or when some of the Gorons left when they got too injured. It was okay, they had enough people to finish the war. It was okay. 

Link glanced over to where they had suspected Cia was. There was a dome of dark energy that was surrounding Cia, surrounding the destroyed platform that she was placed in by gates. The amount of dark energy that was flowing from Cia was frightening.

“Cia’s spirit can’t take much more of this,” Lana whispered, her hand against her mouth as they watched the dark energy flow past them and to Cia. 

“Her soul’s been corrupted,” Proxi said, slightly disappointed. 

Link sighed, before he rubbed his eyes. His hands still burned, but he kept trying to ignore it, he wouldn’t have to think about his blistered hands after they took care of Cia, he was  _ fine _ . 

Lana didn’t seem fine. She looked defeated. Link sighed softly. “Hey,” Link bumped his shoulder against hers, eyes glancing around to make sure they were safe for the moment. “It’ll be okay. Let’s get back to base,” he said quietly, jerking his head in the direction where they made base by the fairy fountain. 

The mage bit her lip, glancing once more in the direction where Cia was, before she nodded, smiling at Link as they two began to run back to the base, fighting enemies along the way. 

The two powered through the enemies, and had eventually separated when Link heard a cry from one of his men, requesting help. Lana proceeded to go to the fairy fountain to assist Zelda and the others, while Link went to assist the soldier. 

The soldier, turned out, to be overwhelmed by dinolfos, while also trying to fight Volga headon. Link clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. It was impressive that the soldier was able to fight Volga with the rest of the monsters around them. 

The fight with Volga was the same, as always. The general had shouted insults at him, making claims of being able to win and beat them once and for all. Link almost believed him. The knight was more powerful than before, and Link still struggled with fighting Volga even after all of his experience fighting the general.

But Darunia had appeared, and provided some much needed help that Link was ashamed to admit he neede, but he still paid the Goron the thanks and respect he deserved. 

Volga was defeated, and the enemy forces were ever so slowly dwindling. They had control over the sanctums and most of the land. 

Link and Darunia exchanged glances, before lookings towards the gate that Cia was behind. 

“We should be able to open it now,” Darunia hummed, slamming his hammer against the head of a stalchild, which immediately fell apart, bones flying across the battlefield. Yikes. 

“Let’s go then!” Proxi shouted, her voice filled with determination. Link nodded, and bid Darunia farewell as he ran off towards the gate, his hand aching endlessly. He hoped that if he ignored it enough it would go away, but of course he wasn’t that fortunate. 

When Link finally approached the gate, he saw that Zelda and Lana were already there, fighting off some of the forces. “Link!” Lana grinned at seeing his arrival. “You’re here!” 

Zelda turned, head snapping in his direction, before she nodded in acknowledgement, lips curling up slightly. Link furrowed his brow slightly in confusion, but nodded back slowly. “Let’s go get Cia!” Proxi said, chiming loudly. 

The three exchanged glances. Nothing was stopping them now that they could open the gate. 

Determined, Lana turned and went up the stairs, before she pushed on the rusted gates, making it fly open. 

Cia scowled at the mage, opening her palm out so that her staff could materialize in her hand. “I thought this was what you wanted, Lana,” Cia hissed, the end of her staff hitting the ground with a resounding thud. 

“It wasn’t,” Lana said, stepping closer to Cia, frowning at her other half. “Why are you doing this, Cia? You can stop this!” She shouted, gesturing towards the desolate world that was behind her. “You don’t have to do this.”   
  
“Yes I do!” Cia shouted, and with that she rushed towards Lana, her staff in hand, swinging it at Lana. 

The mage jumped back, and Link took that as his time to strike. 

He ran forward, not thinking as he slashed the Master Sword at Cia, determined to stop her. Whatever her intentions were, it didn’t matter. What was done was done, and there was no turning back now. Cia had to be stopped, and their chances of stopping her now was the only shot they had. 

While attacking Cia up close, he noticed Zelda shooting light arrows at the sorceress, and Lana who was attacking with her own magic, occasionally coming up close. 

Cia didn’t stand a chance against the three of them, and her own corrupt soul. 

The battle was even stopped abruptly when the dark sorceress crumpled to the ground after an attack on Link that sent him flying backwards, and Lana was the first one at her side. Zelda had ran to assist Link, and the two watched Lana and Cia from a distance.

They were too far to hear the whispers that happened between the two.

When Lana stood up, Cia was gone, and when she turned around, there were silent tears that were streaming down her cheeks, the triforce of power in her hands. 

Link took a step forward, before he sprinted towards Lana, embracing her immediately, his hand on the back of her head. 

Lana stiffened, but hugged Link backed, sniffling quietly. 

Moments passed before she took a step back to wipe away her tears, smiling happily at Link. “Let’s put Hyrule back together.” 

Link smiled back at Lana, as they turned to Zelda, who nodded. “Once we get Hyrule fixed, things shall go back to normal, and we shall then prepare for another battle,” Zelda said, resting a hand on Lana’s shoulder. “Then we can rest.”

Link sighed loudly. “Fucking finally,” he grumbled, crossing his arms across his chest. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> almost done with the first arc oh my god


	16. Chapter 16

Cia was dead, Link was tired, Lana was sad, and Ghirahim was… there. 

It was more like after the battle at the Valley of Seers, they had left so they could go make camp and rest up for a few days so they could heal before preparing for the battle against Ganondorf. Lana had been resting further away from camp, and Link had taken it upon himself to accompany her in case something were to happen. Just to be sure. 

The former captain was surprised to learn how much Cia’s death had effected Lana, though. He figured she would’ve been fine since Lana never really conversed with Cia until her final moments, but Link never really gave much thought to the fact that they used to be the same person. 

Link felt like shit when he realized how much of a douchebag he must’ve acted before realizing how hard it was for Lana to lose her other half. 

So there they were, seated away from camp with as much privacy as they could much. Link was consoling her and attempting to comfort her over the loss of her other half, trying to reassure her that things would be okay eventually, when the dumbass sword spirit Ghirahim decided that now was a perfect time to appear in front of Link, laid out as if they were about to continue where they left off the last time they saw each other. 

His sudden appearance didn’t go so well at first. 

Link immediately slapped his face while Lana reached for her book, and Ghirahim went to hide behind Link, scowling as he wrapped his arms around Link’s toros, eyeing Lana suspiciously. 

“Hylia have mercy,” Link bemoaned, closing his eyes as he tilted his head back. 

“What is he doing here!” Lana whisper-shouted, pointing an angry finger at Ghirahim while she wiped her eyes. “Wasn’t he working for Cia?”

“It’s a long story,” Link grumbled, grabbing Ghirahim’s hands from where it was over his stomach. He intertwined their fingers. “Basically, he’s my boyfriend.”

“When did we become official?” Ghirahim asked, his brow furrowing. 

“Since right now?” Link asked, voice a bit higher as he turned his head to look at Ghirahim, who just shrugged in return. 

“Did you two just get together right in front of me?” Lana crossed her arms, raising a brow at the two. 

Link looked sheepish as he rubbed the back of his neck, and Ghirahim removed himself from where he was hiding behind his boyfriend with a grumble as he pinched at Link’s side. “Yes, though we have been seeing each since we first met, right Commander?” Ghirahim looked at Link as he stroked his chin.

The hero narrowed his eyes at the demon, a dumbstruck look crossing his features. “Oh, you’re not joking,” Link said, rubbing his forehead. “We started like, actually seeing each other after I got back from Skyloft.”

Lana mouth made a small ‘o’ shape as she nodded, though she still seemed suspicious, if the fact that she was still holding her book was anything to go off of. “Does Zelda know?”

Link thinned his lips. 

“As far as I know, no,” Ghirahim answered, before he held a hand out, which Lana took, shaking each others hand. “I’m the Demon Lord Ghirahim, but my friends call me Ghira. It’s a pleasure to meet you…”

“Lana. My name’s Lana.” She smiled, dropping her hand from their handshake back into her lap. 

“That’s an exquisite name, Lana,” Ghirahim said, nodding slightly. He paused, before he got closer to Lana, squinting slightly as he studied the mage’s features. “Lana my dear, are you related to Cia in some way?” 

Link groaned as he rubbed his forehead. “Ghira, not now-”

“Cia is-  _ was _ my other half,” Lana said sadly, looking down at her lap. 

“Oh,” Ghirahim frowned, before moved to sit next to Lana to give her a side hug. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“It’s okay. It was for the greater good, you know?” Lana sniffled, rubbing at her nose as she looked back up to make eye contact with Link. 

Ghirahim huffed. “Just because it’s for the greater good doesn’t mean it has a positive impact on everyone.”

Link couldn’t help but feel like he’s told himself something like that before. Shaking his head, he moved to sit on the other side of Lana, resting his head against her shoulder (thought it was more on Ghirahim’s hand). “You’ll be okay Lana.”

Lana rubbed at her eyes as she tried to fight back tears. “It’s hard, though,” she murmured, hiccuping slightly. She continued to rub her eyes frantically, before she decided to just hide her face with her hands. “She was my other half… I- I miss her.” 

Ghirahim sighed. “You learn to cope, Lana. It won’t get better, but you adapt. I promise,” he said, leaning his head against hers as he attempted to comfort the mage. “As Link said, you will be okay.”

Lana nodded, sniffling before she stared hiccupping more frequently, her sobs becoming more prominent even then her attempts at holding them back where obviously when she started to struggled with breathing evenly. 

Link and Ghirahim continued to just hold the mage, their silence wrapping around them like a blanket as they tried their best to console Lana. Their silence was deafening for Lana as she leaned forward, rubbing at his eyes furiously to try to stop the tears as sobbed wracked her chest.

“It’s okay to cry, Lana,” Link said, rubbing her back. “There’s nothing wrong with crying.” 

“Yes, there’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Ghirahim murmured, tucking some of Lana’s blue hair behind her ear. “Your hair is really lovely, is it natural?” He asked randomly, gaze stuck on her hair.   
  
“Ghirahim!” Link hissed, glaring at his boyfriend. Ghirahim raised his hands defensively.

Hearing Ghirahim’s comment, Lana began to laugh in between her cries. She continued to rub her eyes as she looked at Ghirahim, giggling. “Yeah, it’s natural. What about your hair? It’s so white,” she said, placing her hand on top of Ghirahim’s head. Her brow knitted together as she continued to play with his hair. 

Ghirahim frowned. “Stop petting, please,” he said, grabbing Lana’s hand and removing it from his head. He patted the back of her hand with his other hand. “And yes, it is natural, although I am not a human or Hylian like yourself,” Ghirahim said, nodding slightly towards Lana and Link. 

“He’s a drama queen is what he is,” Link said, stretching silently before he laid down. He made grabby hands towards Ghirahim, and the demon moved closer to the hero just so Link could hold his head. Ghirahim rolled his eyes. 

“I don’t doubt that,” Lana said, rubbing her nose as she sniffled once more. 

“I just met you, and you’re already agreeing with him!?” Ghirahim shouted, flabbergasted. “I’m hurt Lana, I thought we were friends.” Ghirahim laid down, hand over his heart as he feigned offense, gasping dramatically, which caused Lana to giggle. 

“You’re such a weirdo, Ghira,” Link grunted, attempting to flick the man.   
  
Ghirahim huff. “I should probably go now, before people come to see what the commotion is about,” he said, sitting back up. He leaned down to give a quick peck on Link’s lips. “I’ll see you soon Commander. Lana, it was a pleasure to meet you. I hope you feel better.” Ghirahim nodded with a smile, before he disappeared in a flurry of diamonds.

Link flushed slightly, turning his head. 

“When were you going to tell me you were gay?” Lana mumbled, staring at where Ghirahim sat. “Or bi?”

“I’m-” Link swallowed, his heart beating itself against his ribcage. “-I wasn’t. I didn’t know if you were going to… I wasn’t sure if you were okay with that kind of thing,” Warriors sighed, covering his eyes. He didn’t want to see Lana’s face, see how she would react to that admission. 

Lana laughed, a real and genuine laugh. Not a fake laugh like his father did when he first came out, when the older man was praying it was a joke. “What’s so funny?” Link asked, moving his hands slightly so he could see Lana. 

She was still giggling before she managed to answer. “I’ve been trying to get with Midna since we met her, I thought it was obvious!”

“You’re a lesbian!?”

“I’m bisexual!” Lana laughed, swatting at Link’s forehead. “I just prefer girls.”

“Ah,” Link nodded. “So… Twili, huh?”

Lana huffed, cheeks red. “So, sword spirits, huh?”

Link’s cheeks flushed red as he crossed his arms, murmuring a quiet “shut up” towards the mage, causing her to erupt into laughter. 

The hero cracked a smile, before he joined her in a fit of laughter. 

He was glad he had the chance to do talk with Lana, and apparently also introduce her to Ghirahim. Proxi wasn’t there, but they didn’t talk about anything important, so it’s not like he had anything to report. 

It was nice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi im tired


	17. Chapter 17

Lana had stayed in the Valley of Seers. 

After she had met Ghirahim and they talked about her apparently very obvious crush on Midna, they had went silent, only for Lana to say that she wanted to stay there, to think about things and to think about Cia. 

Link had nodded. He knew he couldn’t understand what Lana was going through, but he was going to support her no matter what. Zelda and Impa weren’t too happy at the fact that Lana wanted to stay, but they didn’t argue.

Lana wasn’t part of their army, after all. She was free to do whatever she liked. 

When they had rested for a few days and healed of all serious injuries, they made their way back to Castle Town. Even though the battle with Cia was over and Hyrule was restored, they still had the rest of the war to prepare for. Ganondorf was on the rise, and they couldn’t sit idly. 

Link knew he should’ve talked to Ghirahim about Ganondorf’s plans, but he couldn’t help the fact that he just didn’t feel like it. He knew that Zelda would be mad if she found out he talked to Ghirahim without Proxi, though. 

Not like it really  _ mattered _ though, due to the fact that they were mainly trying to console Lana with her grief. It hurt Link to see Lana so devastated, but he was glad that Ghirahim was there to help him comfort her, even if the two had just met. 

The hero was happy that Lana got to meet Ghirahim though, despite the circumstance. Lana was like his sister, and it felt good to have her accept who he was and who he was with, even though she was wary of Ghirahim at first. 

Link also felt like if he and Lana knew about each others crush and significant other, they probably would’ve had more to converse about besides the foods they liked and how much they wished they were back home. 

When they were on the way back to Castle Town, Link couldn’t help but smile at the memory of him trying to get Lana to teach him magic. It didn’t go well, obviously, when he tried to read out of her book and misread a spell and ended up burning down a tree, which then cause Lana to scream at him. 

Lana banned him from reading her book since and Link reluctantly agreed that magic just wasn’t for him. 

“What’s Castle Town like?” Mask asked, patting Link’s head after removing his green hat. Mask played with Link’s hair, braiding some strands. Granted Link had to teach him how to  _ actually  _ braid when he found out that Mask was just twisting his hair into knots. 

“It’s lively,” Link said, raising his arms up so he can place his hands against Mask’s back, just to provide some sort of comfort that in case Mask fell he would catch him. “There’s a lot of people and stores that have a lot of knick knacks. I think there’s a mask shop that you would like,” Link grinned, despite the fact that Mask couldn’t see his smile.

Mask huffed. “I probably have all of the masks that shop has to provide. They would want to pay  _ me _ for the masks that I have,” the Kokiri grunted, pulling lighty at Link’s hair before he went back to braiding it.

Link snorted. “Yeah, sure, but there’s still probably something you might find interesting.” Link would’ve shrugged, but he didn’t want to disrupt Mask. With a sigh, Link looked around on reflex, looking for Lana. He frowned though, disappointment flowing through his veins when he remembered that Lana had stayed back in the Valley of Seers.

He really didn’t like the idea of leaving Lana behind. 

“They’re back!” 

Link was snapped out of his daze when they walked through the gates, entering Castle Town. There were shouts that were then followed by cheers and applause, causing Link the smile softly. It was… strange, hearing it all, knowing it was for him and the rest of the army. 

“This is a bit much, isn’t it?” Midna sighed as she floated up ahead of him.

“Just enjoy the moment before we have to keep preparing for Ganondorf,” Link said quietly, watching as some of the soldiers went to their loved ones after being separated from them for so long. Link wished he had someone to come back to. 

Midna scoffed, but nodded anyways, crossing her arms as she summoned one of the Twili wolves so she could sit on it, the wolf keeping its pace with Link. “Too bad Lana isn’t here,” Midna said dully, leaning forward to rest her face against the fur of the wolf. 

“I miss her,” Link said, feeling Mask rest his chin on top of his head.

“Me too.” 

They continued their walk to the castle in silence, the rest of their allies following suit. The soldiers that went off to greet loved ones ended up returning to them as they made their way to the castle. Link acknowledged the cheers from the civilians, waving occasionally at them. It didn’t hurt to be friendly, but he didn’t  _ have _ anyone here that he was close to. 

What a bummer. 

Some of the soldiers went to the dining hall upon arrival to get something to eat, others heading to their rooms to sleep on a bed for once. Link was going to follow Zelda and talk about a plan, but she had dismissed him, saying that they would come up with a strategy tomorrow.

Link frowned, but didn’t fight her on it, even if she thought that waiting could potentially cost them their life. 

Link brough Mask to where his room was, ignoring the fact that it was somewhat dusty and barren. Mask was asleep already, so Link laid him down on the bed, before he climbed in, trying to get as close to the wall as possible so that Mask could have more room.

It took awhile for Link to fall asleep, but he did, eventually.

He was only asleep for a few hours when he heard his door slam open, soldiers shouting and the sound of feet marching against the ground alerted him. Link forced himself awake, looking down at the sleeping form of Mask as the soldier stared at the hero.

“Ganondorf is here.” 

That woke him up. 

Link stumbled out of bed, making sure not to alert Mask as he hurried to put his proper gear on, slipping his sheath on before he ran out of the room after the soldier, slamming the door shut behind him. He just prayed that if Mask woke up he wouldn’t leave. 

He couldn’t leave Mask. 

Breathing heavily, Link made his way out of the castle, determined to try and find Ganondorf. He had an army of lizalfos and bulbins, and while Link never really struggled against those enemies before, it was the fact that he had never seen so many. He was used to large onslaughts of enemies, but the monsters were flowing throughout the streets, fighting against the soldiers and occasional civilian that left their home to fight back. 

This was bad, he knew he should’ve fought back when talking to Zelda, he  _ knew _ it was gonna bite them in the ass for taking a break, he was such an  _ idiot _ -

“There you are.” 

“Son of a fucking bitch.” Link unsheathed the Master Sword, ignoring the burn he felt on his palms. His hands were still blistered heavily, hands an angry red as he gripped the hilt, paying no mind to the pain that surged up his arms. “Ganondorf,” he growled, eyes narrowed dangerously as he fell into a stance. 

Ganondorf was wielding a large, black sword that had jagged edges. There was a red gem in the middle, with an upside down triforce marking the sword. Link knew that if he were to wield the sword, he would have to use both of his hands just to lift it. Ganondorf was just large and strong enough where he could use it single handedly. 

The Gerudo man smirked. “Hero.” Ah. He didn’t know his name. Link couldn’t help but feel a little relieved at the fact, for some reason. “Hand your piece of the triforce over before I rip it out of you like I did with the brat.”

Link stumbled back. “Lana?” He whispered, his brow furrowing, slowly losing his stance as he thought back to to his ally. Link was upset knowing that if Lana had just went with them to Castle Town she would’ve been safe-   
  
“Was that her name?” Ganondorf mused, tilting his head. “Yes, she ran away immediately, though I caught her relatively fast. She screamed loudly, just as your princess did moments ago within her chambers.”

Link tensed, clenching his jaw harshly, his aching slightly as he hand shook. With a shout, he ran towards Ganondorf, Master Sword raised to attack the man, swinging down towards the Gerudo’s neck.

Ganondorf raised his arm, where Link’s blade hit his thick gauntlets. Sparks flew, before Ganondorf maneuvered his hand to yank the blade, dragging Link towards him, before hitting him upside the head with the hilt of his sword.

Link saw stars as he was knocked down, preparing to get up before he felt a foot on his chest. He looked up at Ganondorf, lips drawn down into a scowl as he reached for his sword so that he could continue his attack on the Gerudo. 

He was stopped momentarily when he felt a harsh  _ yank _ at his being that left him gasping, his eyes wide. 

Link looking up at Ganondorf, who had two pieces of the triforce together in the palm of his free hand. It was outstretched towards Link.

“No, no  _ no- _ ” Link begged, tears pricking his eyes as he felt a fire in his chest, something pulling away from him, something that he couldn’t let go. “ _ Please _ , no, no-” He gasped once more, his hands abandoning the attempt to grab his blade as he grabbed at his chest frantically, fingers gripping the fabric of his tunic.    
  
He felt like he was dying, felt like he was burning from the inside out, that he was going to combust at any moment. Link’s heart beat fast, his breathing harsh as he tried to keep apart of him intact, tried to keep it with him. Ganondorf couldn’t have it, it was  _ his _ it was part of his soul, this wasn’t fair-

Link cried, ignoring the tears that flowed down his cheeks as he scratched at his chest, gasping loudly. It was almost gone, it wasn’t supposed to  _ leave _ him again, not after last time. Link bit his tongue, wincing slightly when he tasted iron, but that didn’t stop him when he wrapped his arms around his chest, shaking as tightening his grasp around himself. 

This wasn’t  _ fair _ .

Link cried loudly when he felt it finally pull away, finally leave his being, and sobs wrecked his body as he began to hit against Ganondorf’s leg, as if that would convince the Gerudo to give it back.

Ganondorf just stared at the triforce in his hand, in awe as he finally has all of the pieces. He glanced down at Link with a sneer, lifting his foot up from Link’s chest, before he kicked him in the side with as much force as he could.

Link grunted, holding his sides as he rolled over to sit up. He hurt, he just hurt so  _ much  _ he wanted it to be over, wanted that piece of the triforce back-

And that’s where Mask found him. 

Sitting amongst the bodies of monsters and Hylians alike, alone, clutching his chest as he sobbed outwardly, screaming into the night as he praed to get a piece of himself back that was ripped away from him. Link felt a pair of arms wrap around him, and he mumbled incoherently into Mask’s shoulder as he grabbed the child and held him close, crying heavily.

Mask remained silent, tearing up slightly. “It’ll be okay, Link,” Mask reassured, squeezing the hero. 

_ ‘No it won’t _ ,’ he thought bitterly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im a dumbass who only updates from 12-3am LMAO it's okay guys you can say "Japo please update at a reasonable time" because why the hell am i like this LMAO


	18. Chapter 18

When Link finally woke up, everything felt  _ wrong _ . There was a piece of him that was forced out of him, taken away from him, and he couldn’t help but place his hand over his heart solemnly as he stared at the ceiling. 

He figured he was in his room, and that the events of last night had actually happened, if the feeling of wrong he had was anything to go off of. 

With a sigh, Link sat up, rubbing at his chest lightly before he exited the room, grabbing his sword on the way out. He was still wearing his clothes from the night prior when fighting, so he was glad he didn’t have to spend time looking for it, even though he knew that he most likely smelled bad. 

Upon exiting his room, he was greeted with a mostly empty hallway, sans the new captain, Anderson, making his way towards Link. Link frowned, rubbing his eyes. “What’s going on?” Link asked, stifling a yawn.

“Zant and Ghirahim were spotted in Gerudo Desert, we’re on our way now,” Anderson said. Link followed the man, fixing his sheath as he looked around, brow furrowed. What the hell was Ghirahim doing?

“Why didn’t anyone wake me up?” Link asked bitterly, hands clenching at his sides. 

“You were hurt. Princess Zelda ordered us not to bother you,” Anderson scoffed. “I would’ve sent someone to wake you up if it were up to me, though. We’re already being deployed.”

“Son of a-” Link cut himself off, sighing loudly. He didn’t even want to go, but he knew that going could potentially mean getting a hint at where Ganondorf was- where his piece of the triforce was. Link needed it back, not matter what.

He would do anything to get a part of his being back.

So, there he was, standing in Gerudo desert, sand piling into his boots and collecting onto his clothing. It was hot, and he had long since taken off his hat and tied his scarf around his forehead to collect his sweat. Which was fucking disgusting, but he’d rather it not rolling down his face. 

“Nice bandana, Lieutenant,” the second lieutenant, Reed, remarked, bumping his shoulder against Link’s.

“Don’t fucking judge me,” Link said, though he was smiling lightly at the man, using his hand to fan himself. The soldier looked at Link, surprise etched on his face at the fact that Link was actually speaking for himself instead of Proxi speaking for him. “It’s hot as balls out here, I feel like I’m in hell,” Link joked. The smile immediately left his face when he stumbled, tripping slightly as he lost his footing in the sand. 

A string of curses left his lips as he righted himself quickly so he wouldn’t faceplant into the sand, the soldier laughed loudly at the act. With a loud huff, Link pushed at the man, determined to try and get the soldier to faceplant into the sand. 

“Hey!” Anderson shouted, disrupting the two lieutenants, who both immediately frowned. “Quit it before you alert the enemy.”

“Someone’s got a stick up his ass,” Reed grumbled, crossing his arms as they continued their trek in Gerudo Desert. 

“For real,” Link said, wiping his eyes. God, it was so hot and he felt like he was getting burned. 

“There they are!” Zelda shouted from where she was, further ahead on top of her horse, Impa by her side. 

Link tilted his head, seeing the enemy’s army of lizalfos and bokoblins. Great, his favorite kinds of monsters. At least had had the chance of seeing Ghirahim. Link’s face was already hot, so he wasn’t able to tell when it got warmer, pink dusting his cheeks slightly. At least it could be excused by the heat. 

Well. You can’t win a war without fighting some battles, and this just had to be another battle before they could actually finish the war, once and for all. Hopefully. Link was still tired after the fight with Cia and the entire time spent away from what he could consider home. 

Link sighed, ripping his sword out of another bokoblin, before swinging it at the head of an oncoming lizalfo. The lizalfo raised its arm, the steal gauntlet wrapped around its forearm blocking his attack. “Can you just  _ die _ please,” Link sighed, jumping back into a stance before he continued his onslaught of attacks. 

They said that Ghirahim and Zant were spotted around here. He knew they had already gotten Zant, who, for some reason, was surprisingly easy to get. So where the fuck was his boyfriend god damnit. 

Groaning loudly, Link rubbed his forehead. He hated the desert  _ so _ much. The sand in his boots, the sand in his hair, in his  _ mouth _ , just  _ sand _ in general was the bane of his existence. Just ruins him, in every way. Why couldn’t Ghirahim and Zant be in a forest of a mountain or somewhere that just  _ wasn’t _ a fucking desrt. 

Link couldn’t help but groan loudly as he quickly impaled a bokoblin, but his lips quirked up into a smile when he saw a familiar flurry of diamonds, before a certain white haired sword spirit appeared. “Took you long enough to make yourself known,” Link said snarkily, pointing his sword at Ghirahim. The burn from the Master Sword wavered significantly, and Link had the sudden urge to chuck it down a river. 

Ghirahim pushed the sword to the side, Link rolling his eyes as he sheathed the sword. “Yes, well, I’ve been busy running away from your troops, they’re very annoying,” he said, sighing as he stepped closer to Link, before wrapping his arms around the Hylian’s waist. 

“You?  _ Running _ ?” Link snorted. “That’s funny Ghira, but I know you can hold your own against my men,” he said, grabbing Ghirahim’s chin, studying the sword spirit’s face. “Are you sick or something? What’s going on?” Link couldn’t help the concern that flooded his senses.

Ghirahim sighed. “Zant and I are a distraction. Ganondorf wants to take over the castle, so he made us go here. In return, we get to live, but I might be able to get my item back,” Ghirahim explained, looking in the direction of where the castle was. 

Link thinned his lips. “Where is he right now?” Link whispered, narrowing his eyes. “He has something of mine that I need back.” 

“Don’t we all?” Ghirahim sighed, pushing his hair back. “He’s already  _ there _ . By the time you return, he would have already taken over the castle.” 

“What do we do?” Link murmured, cupping Ghirahim’s cheeks. “If we don’t stop him, he’ll control everything. And probably kill me, honestly.” Link clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he gaze upwards, wincing at the sun. 

“You probably deserve to die with how you’re wearing your scarf,” Ghirahim said sarcastically, playing with the ends of the scarf that Link still had tied around his head. 

“You’re avoiding the question.”

“ _ FIne _ I’m avoiding the question. I won’t be able to help you-”

“ _ Why!? _ ” 

“Because I need to get my item back,” Ghirahim explain, pulling Link against his check. He groaned lightly, swaying back and forth. “I can’t help you and get my item back. I need it back, Link, I can’t wait for it any longer.” 

Link huffed. “Why is that item more important than me?” He grumbled, pulling away from Ghirahim so he could cross his arms. 

Ghirahim rubbed his forehead. “It has a large significance to my life, Link, please understand that.” He sighed once more. “I need to go now before I get killed,” he said quietly, looking around warily. 

Link leaned forward, pressing a kiss against Ghirahim’s lips. He swallowed, watching his face for some sort of reaction before he sighed, cupping Ghirahim’s cheek. “ _ Go _ .”

Nodding, Ghirahim disappeared, leaving diamonds behind for Link to catch.

Determined, Link ran back to where he last saw Zelda. If what Ghirahim said was right, then the final battle of the war is getting near, and they needed to go back to the castle as soon as possible.

He knew they wouldn’t be able to catch Ganondorf off guard, but knowing Ganondorf’s plans was better than the it happening unexpectedly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update is here on time (can't say the same for Eat Your Teeth lmao) but yeah here it isssss, we're almost done. i feel like it's gonna be anticlimatic for u guys tho :( im bad at fight scenes so i tried my best to make the first arc work as much as possible. 
> 
> tho warning second arc is VERY tame and has like no fight scenes, but does go into some serious topics so


	19. Chapter 19

The return to Castle Town was solemn. 

They all knew what to expect after Link rushed to tell Zelda about what he had heard, and she had ordered them to retreat back to the castle and prepare for another fight. Many soldiers complained, but shut up when she mentioned Ganondorf and the state the castle might be in.

It was times like this, in between battles as they walked to what could be their graves, where their final breath will be, that Link missed Lana. She was bubbly, cheerful, and optimistic. 

And Link needed as much optimism as he could right now. 

Walking through Castle Town after their return from Gerudo Desert was the polar opposite of when they returned after the battle at the Valley of Seers. The streets were empty and barren, silence echoing through their ears as they ventured through the ghost town.

Link occasionally heard the thudding of feet against the pavement, running away from something, or hiding from someone. 

He felt something inside of him boil at the thought. 

As they approached the castle, Link clenched his fists. The place looked like the Valley of Seers. All life seemed devoid of their energy, the vibrant colors from before now dull. The people were in hiding, but Link knew that there were definitely some casualties. 

“Attention!” Zelda shouted, stopping in front of the castle gates. They were about to pass through the gates, and enter through the vast area between the castle and the town. “If we fall today, all of Hyrule will fall tomorrow!” Zelda scowled, turning to look at the castle and the dark magic that flowed at the top. “We can not afford to lose now!” 

The soldiers cheered, and Link gave small cheer as well. “This is scary,” Proxi said, close to his ear. 

Link stumbled slightly. “ _ Proxi!?” _ He whisper shouted, staring at the fairy, ignoring the soldiers as they marched into the next battle, swords ready. Link chewed his lips, and ran in, Proxi following suit. He buzzed straight towards the entrance of the castle amongst some of his stronger men, while others tried to keep the enemies at bay. “Were you here the whole time? I thought you were with Mask!” Link looked frantic as he ripped the door open, and ran through the warped hallways of the castle.

Proxi was chiming loudly, but Link ignored it, ignored the thudding of soldiers behind him, following dutifully. “He’s safe- I came out looking for you when I heard the soldiers,” Proxi explained, before she flew into her usual spot inside of Link’s scarf. 

Link licked his lips, nodding slightly. He didn’t have time to make idle conversation with the fairy. He needed to take care of Ganondorf right now and get back what was rightfully his. 

He heard from some of the soldiers that their allies from other worlds was slowly making their way up to to the top of the castle in their own way. They had no rendezvous point, they had no plan-

They were going to die here. 

Hissing, Link pushed forward. There were more enemies,  _ of course they were _ , but his men blew through them easily. Good, they couldn’t afford to be held back any longer. 

When they finally reached the top of the castle, Link didn’t think, immediately rushing towards where Ganondorf stood, triforce in one hand, his sword in the other. Link narrowed his eyes. That wasn’t the same sword that he remembered Ganondorf having. 

“I thought you would’ve stayed down after our first encounter,” Ganondorf said, raising a brow at Link. Link raised his sword, his men behind him copying him. Ganondorf laughed, the sound projecting easily. “You were so easy to take down. Your screams, your crying, the way you begged uselessly.” Ganondorf hummed, finally raising his sword. “Let’s see if I can bring you to that state again.” The triforce in Ganondorf’s hand disappeared into his being, and Link’s chest tightened. 

He had to be strong, he had to do this. He was a hero. He needed to take down Ganondorf, needed to get his piece of the triforce back, even if he goes down too. 

With a loud shout, Link rushed forwards, delivering attack after attack on the Gerudo, breathing heavily as his scarf whipped around him from the wind. His soldiers were going after Ganondorf at the same time, and when the Gerudo blocked one attack, there was another already upon him.

This was a war, and the state of the world was at hand. This was no time to fight fairly. 

With the onslaught of attacks from Link, his army, and his allies that showed up not too long after, it wasn’t hard to take down Ganondorf. Despite being a remarkable swordsman, even the best of the best wouldn’t be able to avoid every attack that came at him from every angle. 

Before the Hylians and others had a chance to celebrate their victory, the triforce, still intact and as enchanting as ever, left Ganondorf’s body, floating above before engulfing itself and Ganondorf in a giant cloud of smog. 

Link winced, stepping back as the smog began to form a humongous beast, before it solidified. Color came to on the beast, and it shook its head, before letting a huge shriek that made Link cover his ears on impulse, gasping from the sheer volume of the the scream. 

The beast was huge. They didn’t stand a chance. 

Ganon roared once more, before lowering its head and smacking its horns against Link’s men, knocking them off of the top of the castle and to their death. The screams of his men caused Link to tense up, before he ran to the side, behind Ganon, to see the area below him.

Fighting Ganon up here was dangerous, he needed to get to the ground. They wouldn’t have to worry about falling to their deaths, then. Going back down the way he came would take too long and be too dangerous if Ganon decide to attack the castle and make it cave in. 

Jumping over was dangerous, but no one else was there to help him get down. 

Looking away, Link’s eyes landed on Ganon, and a  _ very _ terrible idea made its way to the forefront of his brain. He could climb the beast, get to its head and make it jump off the top of the castle, effectively removing both of them from the top. 

Breathing in deeply, Link rolled, making sure to get out of the gaze of the pig, before he rummaged through his pouch quickly, looking for his hookshot. 

When he pulled it out, he aimed roughly at Ganon’s horn, and gave a shout of victory as he was yanked off of his feet, and in seconds was on Ganon’s horn, his limbs wrapping around it quickly. 

Ganon roared once more, before he began to jump around in an attempt to get Link off of his horn, jaws snapping as if he would be able to bite at Link and get him off. 

“Woah!” Link nearly screamed as he held on tightly to the horn. He could feel his heart beat throughout his entire body, and he felt like his lungs were going to explode when he forgot to breathe, too busy trying not to fall off and die. 

Ganon shook its head quickly, making Link disoriented as he shut his eyes quickly to avoid looking at the world as it moved too fast for him to keep track of. 

When he felt a sudden gust of wind beneath him, Link cracked his eyes opened, and promptly screamed when he realized that Ganon had  _ finally _ jumped off, and Link crossed his ankles over the other, as if locking himself onto the horn would keep him there. 

When Ganon hit the ground, Link jumped slightly before falling down, chest slamming back into Ganon’s horn painfully, leaving his breathless. 

Before he knew it, Ganon had began ramming it’s head against the giant walls that surrounded the castle, making large cracks appear as Link’s body got hurt  _ painfully, _ his grip loosening as he fell from Ganon’s horn. The beast rammed itself into the wall once more, causing it to fall. 

Link rubbed his head, glancing up before his eyes widened significantly as the debris fell from above. He covered his head, knowing he wouldn’t be able to escape in time without getting hit by the debris. This was the next best thing. 

He flinched harshly when he expected the hit of the debris, but instead was greeted by being grabbed suddenly, and being across the field, diamonds floating in front of his face. 

Glancing up, he smiled, and sighed in relief. “I could kiss you right now,” Link said, patting Ghirahim’s shoulder, indicating that he wanted to be let down, which Ghirahim happily obliged. “Nice of you to join us finally.”

“Well, I was done much sooner than expected, don’t look too into it, Commander,” Ghirahim chuckled, summoning his saber in his hand. He eyed the beast in front of them with distaste as he continued to attack the soldiers. Link was glad they were on long on top of the castle. “Well, what an unexpected turn of events.”

Link rolled his eyes, unsheathing his sword. “Just help me with this,” he said, before he ran towards Ganon, Master Sword glowing a bright blue before he performed a downward strike, a large beam exiting through the tip of his side and hitting the beast.

“If this was something else, I would’ve told you not to tell me what to do,” Ghirahim grumbled underneath his breath, before he vanished, only to reappear on top of Ganon. He cut at the back of the beast, striking it heavily as blood slipped through its wounds, covering itself, as he slowly made his way to its head, gripping onto its fur so he wouldn’t fall off. 

The soldiers below were doing a good job at cutting at the beast, making deep enough wounds when the beast began to limp. It wasn’t until Link made a particularly deep slash at its heavily wounded leg did it fall over, and they all went for the head. 

Ghirahim followed suit, his saber impaling the back of Ganon’s neck.

Link breathed heavily as he went to the top of Ganon’s head, and stabbed the Master Sword through the large, purple gem that rested atop his forehead. 

The beast stilled.

Everyone waited with bated breath, the only thing filling the silence was the harsh breathing of Link, before he began coughing harshly. He removed the sword from the gem, sliding harshly and making a sickly sound the made Link grind his teeth together, before stumbling back slightly, almost falling over. 

A pair of arms caught him, and he was on the ground, Ghirahim holding him. He felt a press of lips against his cheek, before diamonds covered his vision. ‘ _ He’s gone _ ,’ he thought, but Link’s eyes never strayed from the fallen form of the evil reincarnate. 

Slowly, its form dissolved into the smog that had formed it, and leaving behind was the three pieces of the triforce. Link’s mouth was agape as he took a step forward, before his piece of the triforce beat him to it, zipping forward and crashing itself against his chest. 

Link gasp, eyes widening as he felt a burning sensation that only lasted for a few minutes. The back of his hand felt like it was on fire, and it glowed brightly through his gauntlets. ‘’ _ It’s back,’ _ he thought, smiling at the hand. He was whole again. 

Link sheathed his sword slowly, examining the world around him. The world was back to how it was, the vibrant colors of Hyrule coming back as the life returned to it. The castle still looked a little worse than it normally did, but it was  _ there _ .

Hyrule was still standing.

“We did it!” Someone yelled, raising their sword in the air. Cheers erupted all around Link, soldiers celebrating, some falling to their knees out of relief for the end of the world as others began to cry. “Ganondorf has been defeated!” 

Link breathed in shakily.

Ganondorf was dead. 

He felt some people slap him on his backs, hand grabbing his shoulder and pulling him into hugs. “Our hero!” Someone else shouted, their arm around his shoulder. “Link helped save Hyrule!” More cheers erupted. 

Link smiled, and patted the hand around his shoulder, before he left slowly. He was shaking, and he couldn’t stop it. 

This was impossible, there was no way this was real-

“Link!”

“Oh my-” Link sprinted, skidding to his knees to get to Mask’s height as the kid jumped into his arms, and Link buried his face into the kid’s shoulder, squeezing the kid. “You’re okay! I’m so happy,  _ you’re okay _ -” he cried happily, pulling back to look at Mask. He was grinning, his eyes tearing up. 

“‘Of course I’m okay!” Mask shouted back, hugging Link again. “I can fend for myself,” he said quietly, before he escaped Link’s grasp. He grabbed Link’s hand, squeezing it. “How are you though, are you okay?” He asked warily, his brow pinching together.

Link smiled. “I’ve never been better, kid.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one more chapter till arc one is over :)
> 
> i uploaded this at 5am lmao, i start school in like, 2 hours and 40 minutes. bit ugh at that tho yk


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot holes? yeah LMAO. Mask is literally like, a whole plot hole, and i was gonna have him be more important in the next arc but then i remember that they all had to go back to their own time lolololololol so there's a plot hole about him somewhere. 
> 
> anyways!! end of arc 1 :D
> 
> also yes i know this is a day late i was busy yesterday

The war was over. 

The war was  _ finally _ over. 

“We did it,” Link whispered from where he stood in front of the fallen castle. They had already vanquished Ganondorf after the triforce returned to them, but after his adrenaline wore off and he had time to process what had happened, he still couldn’t believe it. “We actually did it,” he repeated, eyes wide. He felt numb, fingers twitchy. He would’ve curled his hand into a fist if Mask wasn’t holding it. The poor kid was hiding in a dumpster and came out when he heard that the commotion was over. 

There was no way this was over.

Link was snapped out of his stupor when he heard Midna laugh loudly from where she stood, standing amongst others. She was no longer in her imp form. 

The hero couldn’t help but feel salty at the fact that she was taller than him.

“We’ll see you next crisis, right?” Midna joked, repeating what she said the last time that they all left to their respected world. 

Lana snorted, but nodded. “Hopefully there won’t be another crisis,” she said, smiling sadly. “We’ll miss you guys.” 

Mask looked at Darunia and Ruto, who smiled at him. Mask waved, “I’ll miss you guys!” 

“Farewell,” Zelda said, bowing her head. “I’m forever grateful for what you have done for my people- for my world.”

“Aw, there’s no need to thank us!” Agitha said, waving her hand slightly. “Just don’t forget us!” She pouted, placing her hands on her waist. Midna laughed next to her, patting Agitha on the head, much to the bug lover’s chagrin. 

“Bye everyone!” Proxi said, flying around Link’s head. 

Link couldn’t help how sad he felt when he saw his allies disappear. There were so many of them, from so many different worlds, that assisted them in their war when they didn’t have to. It was amazing, how courageous they all were. 

The four stood in silence, still watching the place where their allies once stood, before Lana coughed, interrupting the silence. “There’s still once last thing to do,” she turned, looking up at Link, “return the Master Sword to its place.” 

Link made a quiet ‘hmph’ sound as he rubbed at a cut on his cheek, a small moment of pain blossoming before dispersing quickly when he dropped his hand. 

“No matter what, you two, save Hyrule…” Lana sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. “Together. I mean it.” Lana grabbed Link’s shoulder, before pulling him into a quick hug. “Take care of yourself, Link,” she whispered, pulling back. She wiped at her eyes. “And tell Ghira I said hi next time you see him.”

Link swallowed the lump in his throat. “I will, Lana. Don’t-” Link inhaled sharply, but his features softened as he tilted his head slightly. “Don’t be a stranger. You know where to find us.” Link stepped back, before exchanging glances with Zelda. “I- we gotta go now, Lana. I’ll see you later,” Link smiled, waving slightly. 

“Goodbye Link.”

Link licked his lips, before he turned, walking alongside Zelda as they both made their way throughout Hyrule, back to where the Master Sword slept. 

It was strange for the man to see the changes throughout Hyrule. Despite the fact that they had wished most of the other worlds away, some remnants of it remained. When walking through Faron Woods on their way to the Temple of the Sacred Sword, there were obvious differences. The place was more vibrant, trees towering over him and Zelda. 

There were also something called a Kikwi that looked like a bush, but was apparently called Machi. 

Machi was cute and Link wanted Ghirahim to meet Machi, even though he knew the demon wouldn’t love the Kikwi as much as he did. 

The Temple of the Sacred Sword looked the same, though. Link was glad for that. 

Well, besides the weird black fog that was seeping out from where the sword was sheathed, but otherwise it was totally fine. Whatever. It was totally tame compared to the last… however much time had went by. 

Stepping up towards the pedestal, Link unsheathed the Master Sword, his hand burning at the touch. Grabbing the hilt with both hands, he shoved it back into the pedestal.

He wasn’t really  _ expecting _ the pedestal to be able to resist the Master Sword, though. 

Zelda had to step up and help him push the sword back, both of them using all of their strength. When they finally put the sword back to sleep, they were sweating silently, breathing heavily. 

They backed away from the sword. Link was just glad that he didn’t have to deal with blisters on the palms of his hands anymore. “It’s over,” Link said, eyes never leaving the Master Sword.

“Yes, it is,” Zelda agreed quietly, nodding. “Will you be returning to the castle with me?” She asked, tilting her head. 

So little time has passed since the day that Link got deranked and told he was going to be discharged. Link thinned his lips. “I think I’ll stay in Faron Woods for a bit and get to know the Kikwi,” Link said, looking away. He chewed on the inside of his cheek.

Zelda smiled. “I’ll be awaiting your return. Impa and I will look after Mask for you,” she said, clasping her hands behind her back.

“Thank you- I’ll be back tomorrow, probably. Not too long,” Link said, smiling back at Zelda. 

Zelda nodded. “Farewell then, Link.” Zelda began making her way out of the room, before she paused in her step turning slightly. “Ah, thank you, again, Link. For saving Hyrule.”

“Of course, Princess. I’m just doing my job.”

Zelda laughed. “I wish you the best, my warrior,” she said, waving slightly, before she exited, most likely already to begin her trek back to Castle Town, where she would lead her people once more. 

Link sighed, shoulders dropping slightly. He would probably talk to the Kikwi later, but for now he wanted a little bit of alone time. Or just a little bit of time to rethink everything and find Ghirahim. 

With a sigh, Link glanced at the Master Sword once more. “Bye Fi,” Link murmured, turning to leave. 

It was still weird seeing Faron Woods look strikingly different compared to what he was used to. It just felt more natural now. But the giant mushrooms that were sprouting out of the ground were really weird- he wasn’t sure if he would get used to seeing mushrooms that was almost half of his height. 

He was by himself now.  _ Actually _ by himself. Proxi stayed behind with Lana and Mask, talking about Hylia knows what, but she wasn’t there to make small comments and make conversation with him.

Link was by himself. It was weird. 

He made his way throughout the forest, looking around quietly. He would play with some of the bushes to see if there were more Kikwi around, but the only one he found was Machi. He hoped that Machi wasn’t the only Kikwi around.

Link was in the middle of talking to a random bush and whispering to himself when he felt a pair of hands on his shoulders. 

Startled, he gave out a shout in surprise, quickly grabbing his dagger before pointing it at his attacker, 

“Oh my fucking-  _ stop _ sneaking up on me like that!” Link yelled, pushing at Ghirahim, who giggled loudly. “You’re such an asshole!” He shouted, crossing his arms, scowling. 

Ghirahim smiled as he grabbed Link’s scarf, wrapping it around his neck as he ignored the Hylian’s complaints. “Hmm, I don’t think I will.”

Link scoffed. “Jerk.”

Ghirahim stuck his tongue out. “You love me.”

“Who lied to you?” Link said, grinning at the sword spirit as he kissed his cheek. “It’s good to see you Ghira. Lana says hi, by way”

“I would say the feeling is mutual, but someone doesn’t love me. At leat Lana likes me,” Ghirahim said, pushing at Link’s face with a grunt. Link groaned, wrapping his arms around the sword spirit, trying to comfort the demon. “You know this doesn’t work when you are  _ laughing  _ your ass off at me, right?”

“No- no, hush, shh, it’s working,” Link said, resting his head on Ghirahim’s shoulder. His laughter died off eventually, and Link hummed, looking up at Ghirahim. “Did you get your thing back?”

“Oh. Yes, yes I did,” Ghirahim murmured, his eyebrows pinched together in thought. 

“What was it?” Link asked, tilting his head curiously. 

Ghirahim pursed his lips. The demon was silent for a moment, before he seemed to have come to a decision. “Would you like to have it?” He asked softly, cupping Link’s cheek.

Link chewed on his lip, before he nodded. 

“Follow me?” Ghirahim murmured, standing up. He held a hand out for Link to take, which the Hylian was more than grateful to take as he stood up. Link refused to let go of Ghirahim’s hand though, but the sword spirit wasn’t complaining as he led them through the forest. 

“Do you know this place?” Link questioned, looking around, studying the forest once more as Ghirahim led him to an area he had yet to explore since he started wandering. 

“Yes. I was-” Ghirahim paused for a moment, and Link squeezed his hand, reassuring the demon. “-I was born here, in Faron Woods. Before Skyloft was still a thing, anyways. My old Master needed a sword, and I just happened to be a candidate when I was left behind after Hylia raised a piece of Hyrule into the sky,” Ghirahim explained, making a face as he told a summarized version of what had actually happened. 

Link frowned at the thought. “Sounds like you’re old as shit,” the hero said, his brow furrowing in thought. “How old does that make you?”

“You little devil!” Ghirahim shouted, yanking his hand away from Link’s grasp in offense. “I am  _ very _ young for a sword spirit!”

“I thought you were the second sword spirit-”

“Hush!” Ghirahim pushed at Link, causing the Hylian to stumble, which only made the soldier laugh loudly. “You laugh after calling me old, I’m starting to think I made a mistake.”

Oh shut up, you’re just mad because you wish you were as young as me,” Link said, pushing back at Ghirahim. They had slowed to a stop in front of pedestal, a large, black sword resting there. Link furrowed his brow, “This is what they took from you?” He whispered, touching the blade. It didn’t burn his hand like the Master Sword. 

Ghirahim sighed. “Cia had merely hidden it from me, whilst Ganondorf used it to command me. When he took over the castle he forgot it, and I took it and fled to put it back where it belonged,” the sword spirit said, placing a hand on Link’s shoulder as the hero continued to examine the blade. 

Link furrowed his brow. “What exactly are you asking me, Ghira?”

“Would you like to wield my sword?” Ghirahim asked quietly. 

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Link nodded.

“Then go for it.” 

He felt Ghirahim press a kiss against his forehead, and Link grasped the sword, hands clenched around the hilt of the sword. 

It slid out much easier than the Master Sword did. 

Link kept both of his hands grasped on the sword, arms shaking as he tried to keep it held up. It was heavy, and he never trained with a double handed sword. “This is gonna take some time to get used to,” Link said, smiling at Ghirahim. 

Ghirahim laughed. “I can change the form, Commander, but if you would like to use that form than be my guest.”

“ _ Please _ change it.”

Ghirahim laughed loudly, before he disappeared into his sword with a flash of light. Link blinked dots and stars away from his vision, and was surprised to sure that, yes, Ghirahim could change the form of the sword, and had changed it into the saber that had once grazed Link’s cheek.

Link studied the saber quietly, pressing a fingertip against blade as his grip on the handle tightened. 

The Commander wasn’t expecting the sword spirit to leave the sword and appear behind him, arms wrapped around his waist. “Oh Commander, gripping me in such a place? So vulgar-”

“You sack of shit!” Link shouted, face flushed a bright red as he pushed Ghirahim to the ground, kicking the demon lightly as the sword spirit laughed loudly. 

The Hylian dropped the saber, and ignored Ghirahim’s complaints as he tackled Ghirahim, the two laughing loudly as they pushed at each, rolling around slightly as they wrestled each other. 

It was moments later when they were both out of breath, Ghirahim laying down with Link sitting up in his lap, leaning back against Ghirahim’s knees. Link hummed quietly. “This is a really nice place,” Link murmured, gazing up towards the sky. 

“Would you like to live here?” Ghirahim asked, tilting his head. 

Link glanced down at Ghirahim, thinking. “I think you should take me on a date first before we move in together,” Link snorted, leaning down to press a kiss against Ghirahim’s lips.

Ghirahim reciprocated happily, licking his lips when Link pulled away. “Is fighting each other on opposing sides of a war not enough for you?” He asked, quirking a brow at the Hylian. 

Link rolled his eyes. “Nah, you gotta do more than that,” he joked, flicking Ghirahim’s nose. 

“Brat,” Ghirahim grunted, pinching at Link’s sides. 

“Shut up, you love me,” Link teased. 

Ghirahim rolled his eyes. “Mayhaps.” 

“Mayhaps my ass!” 

The two continued with their playful banter until the sun set, and Link was reluctant to admit that he was, indeed, tired. So, after Ghirahim had forced Link to sheath his new sword, the two looked for a spot that Link deemed comfortable. 

They had ended up running into Machi, which Link would’ve found hilarious if Ghirahim didn’t try to drop kick the poor Kikwi. 

The sword spirit and Hylian ended up next to a tree atop a hill, a vine swinging slightly across from them due to the slight wind that blew by. Ghirahim leaned against the tree, while Link had his head resting in Ghirahim’s lap, his eyes closed shut. 

Ghirahim ran his fingers through Link’s blonde locks as he shut his own eyes. 

The war was finally over. 

Things are going to be okay. 


	21. Chapter 21

“This isn’t working, darling-”

“Shut up!” Link shouted, pushing his hair back slightly before pinching his nose. His hand was grasped around his new sword-  _ Ghirahim’s _ sword. Apparently the sword spirit trusted him enough to wield it, even though Ganondorf and his first master used it against him. “I’m not used to a sword being this light!” 

“Well, get used to it!” Ghirahim groaned, rolling his eyes as he let his own saber dissipate in the air. “How did someone like you wield a sword that  _ burned _ you and defeat both Cia and Ganondorf?” Ghirahim said, crossing his arms, jutting his hip out slightly. 

Link raised a brow at Ghirahim’s stance, but didn’t question it. Dude is just flamboyant like that. “I did it with a sword that could shoot out magic beams and with like,  _ five _ other people,  _ at least _ ! I’m in the  _ army _ dumbass!” Link retorted, slashing the saber a few times in the air before he sheathed the sword. Ghirahim glared at him, but Link waved him off. “I’m done for today.”

Ghirahim huffed, but nodded, following Link as they went back to return to his-  _ their _ home. Ghirahim placed his hands behind his head. “Didn’t you get discharged, hero?” Ghirahim musedd out loud, smirking slightly. 

“ _ Didn’t you get discharge, hero _ , shut the fuck up, I pay the bills,” Link mocked, shoving at Ghirahim as the sword spirit laughed loudly at the war hero, before he floated upwards, and returned to his sword, a small chime echoing in Link’s head. “Yeah that’s what I thought,” Link said quietly as he made his way back into Castle Town. 

It’s been a few months since the war with Cia and Ganondorf ended. The castle and its walls were still being rebuilt from the damage that Ganondorf caused, but Castle Town was thriving and booming with business. 

Their allies had returned home, and the army remained. True to Impa’s words, he was discharged after everything. Zelda said she didn’t want to discharge him, but knew that, after everything that happened, she couldn’t let him get away without consequence. If she did, it would set an example to her people and make it seem like she had favorites. 

Link was disappointed about the discharge, but he was, in a way, glad for it. 

Hyrule has changed after the war. Faron Woods was different and filled with Kikwis that Link liked talking to. Link wanted to explore the rest of Hyrule, see what changes were made to what used to be familiar and study it. He had the time now that he was discharged. Link was just glad that he wasn’t dishonorably discharged. 

He got some part time jobs too. He started working for the guy at the mask shop and at a general goods shop. The money wasn’t the best, but he was able to pay the bills, so it worked out fine in the end anyways. Ghirahim helped with money at first, saying he had a bunch of rupees saved up over the years, but he put it to making a house in Faron Woods. 

Link wasn’t complaining about that, though. Their home in Castle Town was nice and homey, but he wanted to be closer to the Kikwis. He missed Matchi. 

Link pulled his keys out of his pouch, unlocking the door to his home. It wasn’t anything special- it looked just like the many other homes in Castle Town, but it was it his and Ghirahim’s and that’s what made it special. 

Once Link shut the door behind him, Ghirahim left his sword, stretching before making his way to their shared room. There were two bedrooms, but the sword spirit insisted upon sharing the small bed. They went so long without contact with each other during the year long war, and Link didn’t want to argue especially since he agreed with Ghirahim. 

He took his sheath off, placing it on the table besides the door. There was a coat hanger, that sported his old, green tunic, and Ghirahim’s old leotard. The two started dressing comfortably, but they still wanted to keep some their clothes somewhere around. 

Link yawned, following Ghirahim towards their bedroom. They had a long day, and while Link enjoyed going to Faron Woods to visit Matchi and the other Kikwis, he didn’t particularly enjoy sparring, especially when he was still trying to get used to Ghirahim’s sword. 

Not to mention Ghirahim would actually draw blood sometimes, unlike how he would spar in the army. They would typically bruise, at most, but never tried cutting the other whenever they decided to spar with real swords instead of wooden ones. 

Taking his long sleeved shirt off, Link tossed it onto the floor, before he climbed into the bed, already seeking the comfort of Ghirahim. He rested his arm on Ghirahim’s chest, his hand seeking the demon’s so he could intertwine their fingers. He moved himself closer to the demon, resting his face in the crook of Ghirahim’s neck.

He felt a rumble in Ghirahim’s chest as his laughter reached Link’s ears, and the Hylian couldn’t help but smile sleepily. “You’re never this touchy, Link,” the sword spirit whispered, kissing Link’s forehead. 

Link hummed. “I had a long day with an asshole, you wouldn’t get it,” he murmured, squeezing Ghirahim’s hand. He shut his eyes, his body relaxing easily against Ghirahim as he let his tiredness wrap around him. 

Ghirahim used his free hand to lightly hit Link’s back, but otherwise remained silent. Link assumed the demon had closed his eyes as well, most likely attempting to fall asleep alongside his boyfriend. 

Link knew that Ghirahim had problems sleeping, oftentimes waking up in the middle of the night to Ghirahim gone, but he hoped that Ghirahim was able to fall asleep at a faster rate now. It was upsetting when he learned that it took the demon a little too long to pass out. 

“Good night Ghirahim,” Link murmured, kissing Ghirahim’s neck lightly. 

“Good night Link.” 

Link smiled as he felt sleep take over, his body relaxing, and his breathing evening out. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oop arc 2 begins. there arent any exciting scenes but it goes into link's and ghira's life and emotions tho. i think anyways lmao i cant remember


	22. Chapter 22

Despite the fact that the war was over and Link was able to go home happy, with a new boyfriend in hand, there were days that guilt overtook him and he just didn’t want to be in his body anymore. 

The knowledge that he would take the information that Ghirahim told him in private and shared it with the princess, had Proxi with him to overhear the conversation, made him feel sick to his stomach. Not to mention the blood that was on his hands. He killed his fellow soldiers, men that he trained with.

Even though they betrayed him, started a mutiny against him, he still  _ knew _ them. Link was a murderer, but when he returned he was crowned a war hero. 

It wasn’t fair. 

When he heard the cries from many family members when they heard of the fate of their loved one, Link couldn’t help the punch to the gut that he thought he felt. Knowing that he could’ve been the cause for their grief, their sorrow. He didn’t want to kill those people, but  _ he did _ , and he had to face the consequences when he saw the families out and about _.  _ He didn’t need to watch them to know they were going to the graveyard to mourn what was lost. 

Link sat by the windowsill, the orange rays from the sun slowly rising, illuminating his vision. He had his head propped up, chin resting in the palm of his hand as he stared out the window, just watching. 

Ghirahim was the one that tended to wake up in the middle of the night, troubled by the memories of his previous masters. He tended to go to the bathroom, hiding away from the world as he camped out in the bathtub.

Rarely did Link ever wake up, only to be strangled in the grasp of his guilt. It was in those moments where he felt like his body was his own, that he was wrongly placed in it. Link wanted out of his body, and he cried when the guilt was too much, when it was all just too much. When he couldn’t escape his body no matter how much he clawed at his skin, leaving behind bright pink marks on his skin, telling the whole world what he was trying to do. 

He couldn’t tell Ghirahim about how guilty he felt. How his body felt like it belonged to someone else. 

Those thoughts and feelings were  _ his _ . Ghirahim didn’t need to know about it. 

Link sight softly, wincing slightly as the sun’s rays finally hit his eyes. His vision was spotty as he squinted, before becoming used to the light. His arms felt numb, static drifting over his being. Try as he might, he couldn’t conjure up any sort of thought that lasted, eventually falling into the drum of silence that echoed through his body, keeping him silenced internally.

His mind was an empty palance filled with demons that he dare not disturb, in fear of starting something that he wouldn’t be able to turn back from. Link was afraid of many things, but as long as he didn’t acknowledge them, then it would be okay.

Everything was going to be okay.

Everything was  _ already _ okay. 

The war was over, he was with Ghirahim, happy as he should be. Discharged from the army, with all the time in the world to do as he pleased, with two steady jobs that he enjoyed for the most time. He should be happy and content with how things were going.

And yet, he wasn’t. 

_ It’s October 18th, 6:05am. Four months after the fall of Ganon.  _

The wooden clock ticked restlessly, and Link drummed his fingers frantically against his thighs. 

_ October 18th, 6:07am.  _

Licking his lips, Link began to scratch at the fabric of his pants, trying to get rid of an itch that rested below his skin, and itch that he’s been trying to get rid of for months now. He wanted to distract himself from the evercoming itch and guilt that took over his body, took over his mind. 

Link swallowed, blinking tears away. 

He felt numb. 

His purpose was gone. Link was trained to be a warrior, trained to fight, and was beat into the ground his whole life. Link was always fighting something or someone, and now that he was discharged, now that the war was over…

_ October 18th, 6:10am _ .

Now that the war was over, he wasn’t needed anymore. 

Everything was calm. He was living in stability, living with Ghirahim, someone who cared for him deeply. There was no one left to fight, no area left to be conquered, nothing left to be explored, despite the newly shaped Hyrule. Things were different now, and Link was living in a world of peace, content, and ease. 

A world that he wasn’t used to. 

Link sighed heavily, rubbing his eyes. He was tired, Hylia, he was so  _ tired _ . He just wanted to sleep at that point, or find something that could kickstart the fire in his chest that warded off the static, the guilt, the everlasting  _ want _ of something. 

Link was a war hero, left without a purpose. Left with nothing to fight besides the demons that laid restless in the back of his mind that he avoided easily. 

He tapped his finger against his chin along to the ticking of the clock, watching as a few select people left the comfort of their homes, with another layer of clothing on to fight the chill winds of October. Leaving to go work, to go fulfill their purpose as they live a life that Link assumed they were happy living. 

The Hylian felt a pair of arms drape over his shoulders, a press of lips against the top of his head which was replaced by the pressure of Ghirahim’s head, his chin digging itself into Link’s skull. Ghirahim’s fingers played with his shirt, and Link felt the man yawn and the Hylian couldn’t help the twitch of his lips as he smiled softly. 

Link tilted his head back, Ghirahim raising his head so that Link was able to do so, and eyed his lover lazily as he cupped his hand behind Ghirahim’s neck and lightly pulled the sword spirit down. The sword spirit chuckled, leaning forward to place a chaste kiss onto Link’s lips.

The war hero hummed in the kiss, pulling away softly to continue to watch the people outside their window go on about their day that had just begun. 

“Would you like to go to Faron Woods later?” Ghirahim asked quietly, his breath brushing his ear lightly. 

Despite everything, his current circumstance, his relationship with Ghirahim, Link couldn’t say he was that happy with how his life was at the moment.

“Sure,” Link murmured, closing his eyes. 

He wasn’t happy with the dull calm of his life. 

He couldn’t really recall the last time he felt genuinely happy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dab dab dab, i took a FAT ASS nap and just woke up like 30 minutes ago lolololol im hungry


	23. Chapter 23

Link was distracted. 

He got yelled at a few times by his boss for spacing out, and was allowed to go home early due to the fact that he “wasn’t bringing in business looking like a tired brat”, as his boss has said. So he went home. Ghirahim wanted to go to Faron Woods anyways, so they could go earlier than planned now.

Link probably could've went to his other job early and taken a shift, but he already took the day off from that job so that he could go to Faron Woods with Ghirahim like he had asked that morning. The Hylian sighed, rubbing his forehead. 

He missed being on the army at times like this. When his life wasn’t lulled to a boring, dull, routine. Granted, there were routines in the army still, but at least he had the rush of adrenaline when he trained everyday and sparred with his fellow men. Now he just had Ghirahim to spar with every now and then. 

Link feels something tight and bitter in his chest as he thought back to the reason why Impa and Zelda discharged him, but he pushed the thought away, guilt overtaking him for thinking about it. 

The Hylian was home before he knew it, and entered the house silently, dropping his things onto the table where his sword sat, forgotten from the day prior when he didn't put it up properly. 

"I'm home!" Link shouted, hanging the sheath on the wall next to where his tunic and Ghirahim's leotard hanged. The Hylian huffed as he took his shoes off, making his way into his bedroom, assuming that that was where Ghirahim was. 

He frowned, not finding the demon to be there. "Ghira?" Link said, looking around the small house. "Are you home?" He shouted once more, double checking all the rooms that they had. Which wasn't even that much to begin with. 

With a sigh, he returned to their living room, sitting down on the couch. Link hated the couch. It was old and uncomfortable, its price evidence from its condition. It reminded him of the countless nights he spent sleeping on the ground, with Mask by him.

Link's frown deepened. Link wanted Mask to live with him and Ghirahim, they had another bedroom so it would work, but the child had insisted to find an old friend. Impa and Zelda had even agreed that Mask didn’t belong in their timeline, and needed to go back to whenever he came from. Link didn't fight them on it, and was reluctant to see Mask go. Proxi went with Mask, wanting to make sure he stayed safe. Link was glad for that decision.

While he mused through his thoughts, or the very few that he seemed to have the past few days, he didn't seem to realize how heavy his eyelids felt, and when he closed his eyes they remained closed, the ticking of the clock lulling him to sleep. 

It wasn't until hours later, when he felt someone shaking him, did he opened his eyes, squinting. "Ghira?" He murmured, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. The sun had set, and darkness surrounded them, the only source of light coming from the small flame on the candle that Ghirahim held. The demon was frowning. "Shit-" He sat up quickly, snapping his head towards the window, despite the curtains being drawn. "What time is it?" He groaned, rubbing his head. 

"It's almost 9pm," Ghirahim answered, standing up from his crouch. His joints cracked slightly, and Link couldn't help but fixate on the sound. "How long have you been home?" He asked, placing his free hand in Link's hair as he leaned over to place the candle on the small table that was by the couch. 

"Boss sent me home early," Link said, furrowing his brow. "I called for you when I got home, but you weren't here," he murmured, looking up at Ghirahim. "I thought you wanted to go to Faron?"

"I just got home. I had something to take care of." Ghirahim pushed Link's hair back, the blonde locks tangling around his pale fingers as he twirled the strands around lightly, so not to pull too hard at Link's scalp. "The Kikwi needed help with something. I was going to pick you up after your shift, but when you weren’t there, so I headed to Faron on my own."

"Did you see Matchi?" Link tilted his head. 

Ghirahim sighed, but smiled nonetheless. "Yes, I did see Matchi. He told me to tell you he said hello and that he misses you."

Link hummed, wrapping his arms around Ghirahim's waist, and pulled the man close so he can bury his face into Ghirahim's chest. He felt the man wrap his arms over his shoulder, hand by his neck, other hand caressing his back gently. 

He sighed, content.

"Link, my love," Ghirahim whispered, breaking the silence around them. "Are you okay?"

The war hero stiffened slightly, but relaxed. It was okay. "I'm okay," he mumbled against Ghirahim's chest, voice muffled. He shook his head slightly, before sighing quietly. Of course Ghirahim would know if something was wrong.

"Are you sure?" Ghirahim ran his fingers through Link's hair once more, before placing his hand against Link's cheek, fingers beneath the Hylian's chin as he raised his head so he could see the blonde's face. Ghirahim furrowed his brow, concern etched in his face. "Please don't lie to me, my love."

Link felt like he had weights tied to his feet, felt a headache at the side of his head, felt the static in his gut, the numbness in his head. He blinked up at Ghirahim. "Yeah, I'm- I'm fine," Link nodded, as if also reassuring himself. "Ghira, 'm fine."

Apparently, that was the wrong answer, Link thought as he watched as Ghirahim's concerned face turned into a crestfallen look, lips parting slightly before he sucked in a breath and bit his lip, watching Link. As if he was fragile, as if he was going to break any second. 

As if he was already broken.

Link furrowed his brow. "Ghirahim, why are you-" Link paused, grinding his teeth together momentarily. "Why are you asking me that? Is something wrong?" 

"You tell me," Ghirahim replied, his hand limp against Link's face. Link placed his hand over Ghirahim's, interlacing their fingers. "The only time you wake up before me is when something is wrong."

"Nothing's wrong."

Ghirahim sighed. "Why do you insist of lying?" He whispered, heartbroken. Link thought that the sword spirit was shaking. "It's been months, Link, do you still not trust me?" There was something about the way Ghirahim spoke, they way he was barely moving, the slight tremor of his fingers against his face, that made Link fee like he was falling. 

Falling, falling, falling, into oblivion.

Into the static. 

"I'm sorry."

"I know." 

Link buried his face into Ghirahim's chest once more, breath stuttering as he thought back to Ghirahim's question. "I trust you, Ghira, really-"

"I know," Ghirahim said, the arms around Link tightening. Link clenched his hands against the back of Ghirahim's sweater. 

"I just- I have a lot going on-"

"Does it have something to do with why you came home early?" Ghirahim pulled back, only so that he could sit down on the couch next to Link, his legs pulled up beneath him as he kneeled in front of Link, the light from the flames flicking across his features. His hand found Link's, and grasped it tightly. 

Link swallowed. "Maybe." He licked his lips, eyes darting to the wooden clock on the wall, tapping his finger against Ghirahim's to the ticking of the clock. 

_ Tick, tick, tick. _

"Can you tell me?" Ghirahim, glanced down at their conjoined hands, and he rubbed his thumb along the back of Link's hand. "Please?"

_ Tick, tick, tick. _

"Maybe." Link breathed in heavily, staring down at their hands as well. Neither looked up, to make eye contact or to seek more comfort and answers. "It's-" how was he supposed to Ghirahim he wasn't happy? That whenever he was awake, he felt like trapped within his body, within his guilt? "It's nothing." 

Ghirahim sighed loudly, more exasperated, more frustrated. ' _ He's angry _ ', Link thought, biting the inside of his cheek. Feeling the roll of the skin between his teeth. Feeling something. "What are you scared of? Worried about? Link, I can't help if you don't talk to me," Ghirahim said, and Link could hear all the emotions in the sword spirit's voice. 

Frustration, annoyance, desperation-

_ Tick, tick, tick. _

Link clenched his free hand, nails digging into his palm, making small, crescent shaped indents. Something he could feel momentarily. There were so many things that Link thought, so many things that he wanted to tell Ghirahim, to talk about, to have his fears and anxieties quenched.

But he knew that it would just hurt the sword spirit. 

To tell the demon how he had blood on his hands, how he shouldn't be praised a hero when he ruined families by murdering their loved ones on the battlefield for their mutiny. Unable to tell them the truth, bearing the burden of the grief he caused. 

To tell the sword spirit how he felt angry sometimes, at the fact that he discharged because it was Ghirahim's fault. If the demon hadn't taken his remarks seriously and sought him out that night on Skyloft, if he just stayed away, then he would still be Captain, still be a respected and honorable member of the army. 

To tell his lover how he just wasn't happy anymore. How he wasn't content with his life, if he was ever content with it to begin with. How now that there was peace, now that he was done fighting, he felt like he didn't have a purpose anymore. Like he didn't have a life to live anymore.

To tell Ghirahim how he wasn't sure if they would work. That his lies, guilt, and demons of his past would drive Ghirahim away, make the sword spirit hate him, hate him like he was supposed to when they were fighting against each other. 

_ Tick, tick- _

"I don't think this is gonna work." 

_ Tick. _

"What?" The thumb rubbing against the back of his hand paused, and there was fear evident in Ghirahim's voice. Link didn't look up, tears prickling his eyes. He heard Ghirahim sniffle, and he didn't have the nerve to look up and face the man, his love, knowing he was the reason that the sword spirit was crying. 

"I've been-" Link's voice hitched, and he felt his emotions bubble up in his throat. "I told Zelda everything you told me. I told her and I- I  _ lied _ to you, I've killed so many of my people, and I don't-" Link felt the tears dripping down his cheeks, onto his arms. He stifled his sobs, other hand covering his mouth. "I don't  _ deserve _ you Ghirahim, and I love you,  _ fuck _ , I love you  _ so  _ much Ghirahim, but I'm not  _ happy _ anymore," he choked out from behind his hand.

Link felt Ghirahim's eyes on him, and Link sobbed behind his hand, his grasp on Ghirahim's tightening significantly. "I'm sorry, Ghira, I'm so sorry-" that was the first time that Link said he loved Ghirahim and it was right after telling the demon that he didn't think they would work. After admitting to being a liar, and then telling Ghirahim he wasn't happy anymore. "Go find someone else- someone who can- can  _ love _ you and be  _ happy _ ," he cried, finally looking up at the demon. 

Ghirahim was crying as harshly as Link was, both of their eyes were red and puffy, and Ghirahim just looked horrible. The sword spirit was pulling at his hair, elbow resting over the back of the couch, before he moved his hand to cover his eyes, shoulders shaking from the sobs that wrecked his body, teeth clenched tight. 

Link felt a sob leave his throat at the sight. "I want to be happy with you, but I'm  _ not _ , I don't- I don't know what's  _ wrong _ with me-" Link could barely even talk. He kept his hand over his mouth, to silence himself, to try and make sure that Ghirahim wouldn't hear his hiccups and sobs as he told him to find some else. " _ I'm sorry, Ghirahim _ ."

Ghirahim didn't move, not breaking from his position as his sobs became louder, no longer denying how much Link admission destroyed him. How horrible it felt, knowing that Link most likely had these thoughts for months now. 

Link lifted their intertwined hands up to his forehead, now wrapping Ghirahim's hand with both of his, holding in tightly against his forehead. The pressure bringing him back down to reality, but he couldn't stop crying, no matter how hard he tried. 

It seemed Ghirahim couldn't, either. 

"I'm so, so, sorry, Ghirahim."

Ghirahim cried loudly, and Link felt his heart shatter finally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> day late update LMAO sorry i was super tired yesterday. i have a zoom meeting in like 5 minutes akjsdsdf im trying to rush in posting this cause this is so last minute hasfkasbfkasdjf
> 
> also idk a majority of what Wars is going through/feeling is all loosely based off of how i felt like, a year ago after smth happened and i was uper guilty for a whole month about it and i was quiet and a fucking MESS during that time. so this is all just based on that lololol im fine now tho


	24. Chapter 24

Link slept in the guest room, leaving their bedroom to Ghirahim.

He took a few days off from work. He knew his bosses were upset, but Link knew that they would've yelled at him with the way he would've behaved during his shift. Cold, distant, apathetic. 

Like a monster. 

He dragged himself out of the bed, the white sheets making him want to puke. It wasn't the purple and red of the sheets that he was used to waking up to, or the warmth that surrounded him as he bathed in the sunlight. 

It was dark and cold. The sun hadn't risen yet, like it usually did, greeting Ghirahim and himself as they slowly woke up from their slumber. 

Link didn't dwell on the thoughts as he left the guest room-  _ his _ room. This would be his room, until further notice. 

Ghirahim was still here, silently preparing breakfast, the sizzling of eggs against the pan loud against Link's ears. 

"Good morning," Link whispered, pulling the sleeves of his shirt over his hand so he could ball the fabric up tight against his fingers. 

Ghirahim turned to look at Link, tears staining his cheeks, eyes puffy and red still. The demon looked like he was about to cry again, before he turned away, and placed the eggs onto plates, before he set them onto the table. Ghirahim sat down, eating the eggs. He looked up at Link, before nodding to the seat across from him. 

Taking the hint, Link sat down carefully, as if the furniture would break underneath his weight. Link chewed on the eggs carefully, slowly. His stomach was full already, full of static and of grief, but he swallowed each small bite slowly. It was good. 

Ghirahim placed his hand over Link's, but didn't say a word as he stared down at his eggs, eating it as slowly as Link was. 

Link swallowed, his hands twitchy, shaking, as he slowly pulled his hand back slightly from underneath Ghirahim's hand, before intertwining their fingers, nerves dancing feverishly at the brushed contact as he rested his fingertips against Ghirahim's knuckles.

The two remained silent throughout the remainder of the meal, not daring to murmur any words to the other, not moving their hands, in fear of driving each other further away. Ghirahim was visibly upset and melancholic over Link's admission from the last night, but didn't do as Link had said, hadn't left and found someone better, despite knowing what Link did. What Link felt. 

Link felt confused, lost, numb. The static running through his body, but the contact with Ghirahim kept him grounded. 

The contact with Ghirahim kept him hopeful.

When they had finished their breakfast together, Ghirahim took their plates and utensils to their sink, cleaning it dutifully. Link join him, Ghirahim passing him the cleaned plates to dry, like how their routine normally was, but was devoid of any laughter, of the smiles and lightheartedness of the moment. 

Their fingers brushed against each other, hips bumping against the other, elbows touching. Link felt a pair of lips against his forehead, where his headache was the night prior. Where he felt the static. 

They put the dishes away, back to where they belonged in the cabinet. 

Ghirahim left without a word, but had pressed another kiss on top of Link's head. Ghirahim didn't pull away immediately, lips lingering against his head, and Link felt like they were going to cry again, before the sword spirit pulled away, and disappeared. 

The diamonds provided Link little comfort. 

He had the day off. Well, more like he was playing hooky, using the excuse that he got sick. Maybe he should cook something? No, he just ate. 

He didn't know what to do. 

Link couldn't think of any hobbies that he had. 

People watching wasn't something he could do all day. 

With a sigh, Link entered the bathroom, intent on taking a bath, but he paused in front of the mirror with a tilt of his head. 

His hair was messed up, face red, eyes puffy. Like Ghirahim's. ' _ This isn't me _ ,' he thought, brow furrowing. The thing in the mirror copied him.

Link touched his face, pulling at his cheek, running his finger along his lips, before pulling at it like he did with his cheek, watching as the being in the mirror copied him, copied his every movement. It looked exactly like him, but it didn't look like him. There was no way that was him.

Link raised an arm, dropping it abruptly. 

The reflection did the same. 

The hero wasn't sure how long he stood there, trying to catch his reflection off guard, to catch it a second off and figuring out who it was. But he never did. It was him, through and through, but it couldn't be. 

"That's not me," Link said out loud, leaning closer to the mirror, making direct eye contact with his reflection. His brow was knitted together. "That's... You're not me," he said, quieter this time, watching his lips move in the mirror. 

What the fuck was going on? 

This didn't even feel like his body. The static was there, through and through, spreading throughout his entire mind and body. This wasn't his body. He was just there for a ride. 

Link made a small, angry noise, before shaking his head, leaving the bathroom with a loud slam of the door. He could take a bath later, not right now, not when that imposter was there, watching him through the mirror. 

He should change. Right? It wasn't like he was doing anything today. 

He hoped Mask was doing alright. Hoped Proxi was okay. 

Hoped Ghirahim was going to come back. 

Link rubbed his head, pushing his hair back, as he took a seat by the windowsill, just like he did yesterday morning. The curtains were drawn back, revealing the streets of Castle Town.

It was still early in the day, maybe it was 8am, but there were people outside, kids running around to go play in the plaza, people watering plants outside their house, or leaving to go to their work or to run some errands. 

So, there he sat, watching people go on about their day. 

Link pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around his legs, chin resting on his knees.

He didn't know what else to do besides just observe the lives of the people outside of his house. It didn't feel like home when Ghirahim was gone, and he refused to call it as such. It just  _ wasn't _ home. It was just an empty building, housing the man that held no purpose. 

Link needed a hobby, besides people watching. Besides sparring. 

His entire identity was being a hero now, but he couldn't live a life as a discharged lieutenant. He couldn't live a life like this, hollowed out and filled with static that numbed him constantly, only going away when he was around loved ones. Around people, around Ghirahim. 

Link stood up, going to where his sword was, sheath hanging off of the wall. He took it down carefully, before he went back to his seat by the windowsill, back to his position as if nothing had happened. The only evidence that he moved being the sheathed sword that his gripped rightly, hands red and shaking. 

Link knew Ghirahim wasn't in the sword, but he wished he was. Wished he was here so that Link could apologize once more, apologize and tell him to leave once more, tell him that he can leave whenever he wants, that he isn't trapped here like Link was. Free to go, whenever he pleased. 

But Ghirahim wasn't here. He might show up later, when Link passed out from crying, instead of coming back early to help prepare like they always did before going on a walk or sitting on their ugly and uncomfortable couch to just talk for hours. 

Link shook as he began to cry again, but he wiped the tears away, trying to focus on the people outside his window. 

There was a widow with a bouquet of flowers, heading towards the graveyard, like she always did. 

A boy that played with a mask that was a bit too big for his face as he chased his friends, all laughing as they ran away. 

A couple who was on a walk, maybe out to get breakfast, or simply walking outside to enjoy the others presence. It was a nice day outside, after all.

So, that's what Link did. Watched. Observing people from where he sat, Ghirahim's sword close to him as he tried to ward the static away. 

His eyelids would flutter shut in between bouts of tears, and he would drift off into sleep, grip loosening on the sword, only to tighten once he woke up half an hour later, this process continuing for longer periods throughout the day. 

He watched the sunset. Watched people returned home from work. Watched the sky darken, and the children run inside warm homes. 

Heard the door open and shut with a soft click.

Link turned his head towards the entrance, watching as Ghirahim took off his shoes, placing his jacket on coathangers as he rubbed his hands together. Ghirahim glanced over at Link, a questioning look on his face when he saw what Link was holding, but didn't say anything out loud. 

Ghirahim only walked over to the kitchen, grabbing things out of cabinets, as he began to prepare dinner for the both of them.

Link stood up wordlessly, grabbing plates, glasses, and utensils so he could set the table wordlessly while Ghirahim made their dinner. Link would've helped, but his chest was tight. 

He returned to his seat. Hand around the sword, knees against his chest. Link placed his forehead on his knees, hiding his face. There was an uncomfortable crick in his neck from the position, but he didn't care. He tightened his grasp on the sword. 

Link felt Ghirahim place his hands on his shoulder, before kissing the back of his neck. Link felt something electric rush up his spine at the contact, and he wanted to sob as he felt Ghirahim's lips pull away, only for his hands to move to Link's neck, massaging his neck softly. 

The sword spirit's hands were so warm against his skin. 

He felt Ghirahim's lips brush against his ear. Another kiss. Lips against the top of his head, against his neck once more, before he continued to massage his neck.

The smell of food teased him, and his stomach growled. Link ignored it. Ghirahim didn't, as he grabbed Link's hand, the one holding the sword, and pulled him up from his seat gently, before leading him to his seat at the table. 

Ghirahim took the sword from Link's hands softly, and Link let it go, not fighting. Ghirahim returned the sword to its original place, before returning to the table and setting the food onto the plates. It was a basic meal, but one that Link still appreciated nonetheless.

Small bites, just like last time. Swallowing was hard, and it was even harder to stomach the food now compared to that morning when they had eggs. Pasta was more filling than a couple of eggs, after all, and Link felt like he couldn't take more than the four bites he already took.

Ghirahim appeared to be eating more. 

The sword spirit replicated what they did that morning by resting his hand over Link's, only for Link to adjust his hand so their fingers were interlocked. Link spread his legs out, so his feet were in between Ghirahim's, ankles pressed against each others. 

Dinner was quiet, sans the scraping of their forks against the plates, and the slow chewing and the ticking of the wooden clock. 

Link slowly rubbed his thumb against Ghirahim's hand. 

The sword spirit didn't seem to notice. 

They finished dinner, and just like always, did the dishes together. Link washed this time, while Ghirahim dried. 

They still hadn't said a word to each other. 

It was nighttime. 

They had walked down the dark hallway together, the creaking of the floorboards filling the silence. Link paused in front of the guest room, grabbing at Ghirahim's hand for a moment. He was nervous, he didn't know why he was, but at least it drove away the static.

Link swallowed the lump in his throat, before raising Ghirahim's hand to his lips, pressing a kiss against the back of his hand, breath heating up Ghirahim's skin.

Link gently let go of Ghirahim's hand, before entering the guest bedroom, trying his best to ignore the sigh from his lover, and the footsteps that followed, indicating that Ghirahim was going to  their his room. He didn’t heard the door slam shut. 

Link felt something in him tighten. The door slamming would’ve made him feel better, he thinks.

"Goodnight," Link whispered to himself as he climbed into bed. 

He didn't fall asleep until hours later, tears fresh and throat sore from sobbing into his pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: oh man this is a great   
> you guys: haha yeah lu is nice  
> me: yeah fo sho  
> also me: *Starts writing regular show fanfic for some fucking reason*


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hover for content warning.

When Link woke up, the sun had already rose and was peaking out through the curtains in his… room. 

Yes, his room. The one with the boring, white sheets that contained one body instead of two, the one that was unfamiliar to him. The one that held nothing of importance, barren of any pictures or personality. That room. His room. Yeah. No longer  _ their _ room. Just… his room. Link’s room.

Ignoring the ache in his chest, Link stood up, running a hand through his hair. He hadn’t showered in a couple days, and he hadn’t even changed out of his clothes from yesterday. He hasn’t even put on eyeliner in a couple of days either. 

He should probably do that. But that required going back to  his Ghirahim’s room and getting clothes. That required potentially seeing Ghirahim, and the silence that came with it. The affection, yet obvious melancholy that became a part of his lovers identity over the past few days. 

It was October 20th, and Link felt like he was underwater. 

He rubbed the crust off of his eyes, licking his chapped and dry lips. His stomach grumbled quietly, and Link ignored it as he made his way to the kitchen, not exactly sure what to expect. Maybe Ghirahim making breakfast like he did the other day, maybe for the sword to be gone with Ghirahim and all of the sword spirit’s belongings. 

The sword was still there, and Ghirahim was still here. 

“Good morning,” Ghirahim said, turning his head to look at Link as he prepared breakfast. 

Link felt his heart race, not expecting the demon to speak to him like he did yesterday. “Good- good morning,” he stuttered, taking a seat at the table, pulling his legs up to his chest. He rested his chin on top of his knees, watching as Ghirahim walked around the kitchen, preparing breakfast. 

Ghirahim set the table, sliding Link a glass of water before putting a plate down in front of him. An omelette, there was some green onions in it, and Link smiles, despite the fact that his throat tightens at the smell, feels like something had already filled his stomach. 

Link inched his hand towards Ghirahim, and the sword spirit took the hint and intertwined their fingers, just like yesterday.

Link took a bite of the omelette, slowly swallowing his food. Four bites. He ate less than he did the previous night, but he couldn’t stomach the food, couldn’t force anything more down. He stabbed his fork at a piece, rolling it around his place for a moment, before he scraped it off of the fork, back onto the plate. 

He heard Ghirahim sigh, his hand tightening over his. Link glanced up wordlessly. “Please, Link,” Ghirahim murmured, taking a bite of his meal. He was looking at his food. “Eat. You… haven’t eaten well the past couple of days,” he said, finishing the rest of his omelette. 

“Okay,” Link whispered to himself, staring at his food. It didn’t look as appetizing as it usually did. His throat felt tight, and his eyes crinkled slightly at the thought of another bite. Stabbing the piece he just scraped off, Link brought it up to his lips, shaking slightly as he wrapped his lips around the fork. He chewed slowly, not able to acknowledge the taste as he focused on chewing. 

The problem came when he realized he had to swallow his food. Link grunted, still chewing slightly. His throat felt so  _ tight _ . Five bites, he needed to swallow this bite for it to actually be considered a bite. Just  _ swallow _ . 

The man tried to forced himself to swallow, and he felt his stomach flip over, the little breakfast he had coming up. Link’s eyes watered quickly as he covered his mouth with his hand after ripping it from Ghriahim’s grasp, gagging harshly. 

He stood up, knocking the chair back as he ran to the bathroom, ran to where he can throw up those four, nearly five, bites. His throat burned as he forced the food out of his system, forced the bile out of his mouth when there was nothing left to throw up. He felt a pair of hands on his back, rubbing circles and holding his hair back that was in the way of his face. 

Link was grateful, and when he adjusted so he was leaning against the wall, panting as he eyed Ghirahim tiredly, he couldn’t help the guilt he felt crawl up his spine as he flushed the toilet. He didn’t look Ghirahim in the eyes. 

“I’ll be right back,” the sword spirit said, cupping Link’s cheek for a moment before he exited the restroom, parting with a few concerned glances at the hero. 

Ghirahim returned moments later with a glass of water in hand, which he handed to Link gently. The blonde accepted the drink happily, chugging down the liquid quickly. “Hey-” Ghirahim Grabbed the cup, tilting it down to stop Link from drinking, “-you’re gonna puke again if you drink that fast. Slow down, Link.” 

Right. Slow down.    
  
Okay. 

“I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?” Ghirahim sighed, rubbing his forehead. “You shouldn’t apologize for vomiting. I shouldn’t have been insisting that you eat more. I should have made something you could stomach.”

Link closed his eyes. Sleep seemed like a good idea, despite the fact that he was sitting next to a toilet. “You shouldn’t have to worry about what I can stomach, though,” he said quietly. Where did all his energy go? He felt like he was stuck in the same thing chu-chu’s were made of, like he was trying to move forward but all of his movements were sluggish, all of his thoughts dull. He felt warm, but it made him feel discomfort, made him feel like he was about to burn. 

“Let’s get you up.” Ghirahim moved to Link’s side, placing his left hand on the small of Link’s back while he slipped his right arm under his legs. The demon grunted as he lifted Link up while he attempted to stand up, stumbling slightly, almost falling over with Link in hand, but he managed to regain his balance. “Where do you want to go?” 

“...couch.” He hated that couch so much, but he knew Ghirahim would want to make something else for him, and that was the closest he could get to his boyfriend. Hylia, he was so tired despite the fact that he just woke up. 

Nodding, Ghirahim exited the bathroom, bringing Link to where he requested to be, and placed him down gently. Ghirahim left for a moment to get a blanket, placing it over Link. He watched as Link blinked, rubbing his eyes. “Are you feeling nauseous?” Ghirahim asked, placing a hand over Link’s forehead. “Sick, perhaps?”

“I’m just tired,” Link murmured, curling up against the back of the couch, pulling the blanket up to cover his mouth. “Lemme sleep, prick.”

Ghirahim snorted, but Link couldn’t hear the amusement in it. “People don’t vomit when they are just tired, Link.” 

“I just didn’t feel like I could stomach anything.”

“But you haven’t eaten much…”

“I’ve been-” tired? Anxious? Stressed? “-thinking too much. ‘M fine though.”

Ghirahim sighed once more, but didn’t press on the matter. 

Link felt a pair of lips on his forehead as he drifted off into sleep, still stuck in the discomforting warmth, stuck in this sluggish body, stuck in the static. 

He didn’t dream of anything. Didn’t dream of Ghirahim, of a future, of anything or anyone. It was just a dark void that he floated in for hours on end. Doing nothing, only to be left to his own devices in the immense space. Link could do anything he wanted, and yet he just floated there. Existing in the nothingness. 

When Link woke from his nap, the sun was still up, and he assumed it was midafternoon. He didn’t hear anything besides the ticking of the clock and Ghirahim’s breathing. The hero furrowed his brow as he rubbed his eyes, sitting up slightly to look around.

It wasn’t until he looked down did he spot Ghirahim. The man had fallen asleep on the floor next to the couch, a small blanket wrapped around his figure. His white lockes were messy, and his eyeliner was smudged. 

With a sigh, Link got off of the couch, sliding onto the floor where he could kneel by Ghirahim’s sleeping form. He pushed Ghirahim’s lockes back, fingers tangling with the familiar strands that he played with millions of times. 

He could sit there forever, but he knew Ghirahim didn’t like sleeping on the floor. Link grabbed Ghirahim’s shoulder gently, shaking the man slightly. “Hey, wake up,” he said quietly, still shaking the man awake. 

Ghirahim groaned, grabbing at Link’s hand. He squinted at Link for a moment as he sat up, evidently still tired. “Do you feel better?” He asked, cupping Link’s cheek, rubbing his thumb against Link’s cheekbone. 

Link sighed, placing his hand over Ghirahim’s. “Yeah. Go back to bed- go to your room. You look tired,” Link said, grabbing Ghirahim’s hand to remove it from his cheek, placing it back by the demon’s side. 

The sword spirit bit his lip, looking away. “You look as tired as I do, my dear,” he mumbled, placing his hand on Link’s knee. 

Link wasn’t going to deny the fact that he hadn’t been sleeping well, wasn’t going to deny how evident his eye bags were. But he wasn’t going to ignore the bags underneath Ghirahim’s eyes either. “I’ll go back to sleep here, just go to bed, stupid.” 

Ghirahim tilted his head, somehow appearing even more tired as his body slumped, as if all the fight in his body dissipated. “I can’t sleep without you there, Link. Please, come back to bed with me,” Ghirahim said quietly, grabbing Link’s hand.

Link didn’t push Ghirahim’s hand away, but he didn’t turn intertwine their fingers, didn’t squeeze Ghirahim’s hand. Link didn’t react, besides just furrowing his brow, thinking as he eyed their hands. As if staring at their hands would give him the right thing to say to Ghirahim. 

“Please, Link,” Ghirahim scooted closer to the hero, cupping his cheek again, fingers splayed, “I miss you.” 

He swallowed, thoughts racing, emotions a jumbled concoction. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Ghirahim looked so hopeful, something appearing in his eyes, something that made Link feel lighter. 

Link nodded. “Okay,” he repeated, squeezing Ghirahim’s hand. 

Ghirahim stood up, and pulled Link to his feet. They left the blankets on the couch, on the floor, not wanting to lose contact from the other as they made their to their room, back to where Link felt safe, appreciated, and loved. 

The two climbed into bed, and Ghirahim stayed on his side of the bed, not wanting to meet in the middle, to push the boundaries and end up pushing Link away. 

Link wasn’t sure if he should stay on his side of the bed, or if he should seek Ghirahim’s warmth, his comfort. He was craving contact, but he didn’t want to bite off more than he could chew. He wasn’t sure how Ghirahim was handling things, how he was handling the venomous thoughts and emotions that Link had had the past few months. 

The hero debated internally on what to do, twiddling his fingers together over his chest. With a sudden huff, Link pushed his thoughts away. He shouldn’t think about what he should do, he should just do what he wanted, do what he felt was right. 

Testing the waters, he placed his hand in the middle of the bed, towards Ghirahim, towards his love, his life. 

Link almost cried when he felt fingertips brush against the back of his hand, wrist next to his before fingers longer than his fell in the spaces between his digits. With a bout of courage, he moved closer to Ghirahim, and he felt the mattress sink slightly as Ghirahim went to meet him in the middle after letting go of his hand 

Ghirahim breathed quietly, his breath intermingling with Links, eyes half lidded. His free arm went to go over Link’s waist, pulling the Hylian close to his chest, fingers playing with the back of his shirt. Ghirahim used his other hand as a head rest, his eyes shutting as Link draped his arm over Ghirahim’s torso, his other arm underneath him. He couldn’t feel that arm anymore, but it didn’t  _ matter _ . 

There was a pair of lips against his forehead that didn’t leave. “I love you,” Ghirahim whispered, attempting to pull Link even closer. 

Link buried his face into Ghirahim’s chest. “I love you too,” he whispered back, listening to the drum of Ghirahim’s heartbeat. 

The afternoon sun glossed over their forms, warming up the top of their blankets, alerting Link of the time of day once more, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. 

Link and Ghirahim were tired and deserved rest, and Link wanted them to be well rested before they attempted to have a more thorough conversation about what was going on between them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have to leave school in like half an hour but i have time and i already ate so i was like,,,,, might as well post the chapter now ig


	26. Chapter 26

Link woke up sweaty, with a arm over his waist and a chest against his back. He blinked the sleep away, out of his eyes, as he stretched as much as he could in the position. The arm over his waist tightened, pulling him closer. Link chuckled quietly. “Good morning,” he said, placing his hand over Ghirahim’s. 

Ghirahim grumbled, hiding his face in the back of Link’s neck. Feeling Ghirahim’s breath on his neck, the barely there presence of his lips against his neck, made the hero twitch slightly before he relaxed within Ghirahim’s grasp with a sigh. “Come on, gotta get up. Things to do.”

“Those things can wait another day now that you’re in bed,” Ghirahim said, not letting go of Link despite the fact that Link had began to attempt to pry the demon’s arm off. Ghirahim smiled, nipping at the back of Link’s neck lightly, causing the skin to turn a light pink and making the man gasp slightly. “Stay in bed with me,” Ghirahim mumbled, voice muffled. “Besides, it’s nighttime. Nothing to do at this hour.”

“Fine,” Link grumbled, no longer fighting against the sword spirit, getting comfortable within Ghirahim’s grasp. The man was right though, it was night. Nothing to do at night besides get lost in your thoughts. He closed his eyes, as if trying to go back to bed, despite the fact that he wasn’t feel as tired anymore. “Can we…” Link chewed on the inside of his cheek. “Can we talk about what happened?” 

"Yes, please," Ghirahim sighed, pulling away from Link, but the weight on the mattress never changed. Link rolled onto his back, turning his head to stare at Ghirahim. "I've been waiting until you were... well enough to talk about it," he said quietly, placing his hand on Link's hips.

Link huffed, sitting up, running his fingers through his hair, lips tugging down into a scowl from the grease. Hylia, he felt like crap. He should really shower soon. "Now is as good a time as ever, I guess." He crossed his legs momentarily, before raising a knee up, wrapping his arms around the limb as he rest his chin against his knee. Link stared at Ghirahim's legs, watching as the sword spirit shifted to sit up, only to retreat backwards. 

There was shifting, and a dip in the mattress behind him. Link looked down, raising a hand up to rub his neck, pinching at his skin, as Ghirahim touched his shoulder gently, his other hand going to massage Link's side.

"Where do you want me to start?" Link asked. His throat felt dry. 

"Wherever you want."

Link snorted, closing his eyes. "That narrows things down," he said, dragging his hand down his neck, letting it fall back down before he rested it on his foot. 

Ghirahim rested his forehead against the back of Link's neck, hand toying with the skin on his shoulder, while he let his free hand twiddle with the fabric of Link's pants. "Explain yourself then," he said quietly, and Link could already imagine the furrow in the sword spirit's brow. "What exactly did you tell Her Grace? How much does she... know, that had occurred between us?"

Link swallowed, opening and closing his mouth as he tried to form the right words. "She knows... almost everything." 

"Almost?"

"Yes, almost," Link sighed dramatically. "Proxi told her everything that happened between us on Skyloft, when you were in the river, when I ran after you. Someone spied on me when we were kissing and told her," Link explained, resisting the urge to rub the back of his neck. "Proxi was with me almsot every time you were there. The only thing I didn't tell Zelda was when Ganondorf ordered you to take over Death Mountain. I knew she would attack you, and that just seemed counterproductive at the time."

The hand that rested on his shoulder retreated, and he heard Ghirahim suck in a breath, before shaking his head gently against Link's neck. The sword spirit leaned back, sighing loudly. "Link, pray tell, why have you not informed me of this sooner?" Link couldn't help the shame that pooled in his gut, looking towards the door. 

He  _ could _ just leave, but that would be counterproductive. Link sighed. "I just didn't think-"

"No, you didn't, do you, but when do you ever do?" Ghirahim hissed out, and he felt Ghirahim leave his spot on the mattress, reappearing off on the side, making his way in front of the bed before he began pacing, chewing on his nail. Ghirahim rubbed his forehead. "I know-" Ghirahim stopped pacing, dropping his arms to his sides, swinging them slightly. "I'm sorry, that was... uncalled for, but Link, how could you not tell me about that? I trusted you."

Link bit his bottom lip, breathing in deeply. "I wasn't sure what to do. I was ordered to do it, you have to understand-"

"You have been discharged for  _ months _ !" Ghirahim threw an arm up, and he began pacing again. A small flurry of diamonds appeared around his hand, and a butterfly knife appeared in his hand, which he then proceeded to fidget with, the weapon dancing along his fingers expertly. He continued to pace along the room, and Link watched the demon as he back up against the headboard, elbow on his raised knee, his hand holding his chin. "You could've told me as soon as the war ended!"

"Okay, I'm sorry I didn't!" Link shouted back, gesturing at Ghirahim as he slumped back, crossing his arms over his chest childishly. "I know I should've, but I  _ didn't _ , I can't change that Ghirahim, that's why I'm telling you now!"

"You told me two days ago after telling me to  _ leave _ you! How did you expect me to feel after that?" Ghirahim placed his hand over his chest with his free hand, still playing with the butterfly knife. "And you can't even force me to leave, I am  _ bound _ to you, the process of you becoming my master and I your sword has been completed for months!" Ghirahim made a loud, frustrated noise. He stopped twirling the knife momentarily, only to turn and throw it at the doorframe, the knife imbedding itself into the wood. Ghirahim pushed his hair back, glaring at Link. "You knew how much I trusted you to do that, yet you still withheld information from me, didn't tell me these things, just like-"

"Ghirahim,  _ please don't- _ "

"Just like Demise and Ganondorf," Ghirahim huffed, rubbing his forehead, before he hugged himself. "I want to help you Link, truly, but I can't do that when you... do these things that hurt me in the process. It isn't fair to me, to be treated this way." Ghirahim sat on the edge of the bed, digging his elbows into his thighs, hiding his face in his hands. 

Link inched forehead, placing a hand on Ghirahim's shoulder, sighing in relief internally when the sword spirit didn't turn away. "I haven't treated you the best, I know. I didn't... I thought I was protecting you by not telling you," he said, wrapping his arms around Ghirahim's waist, resting his forehead on the sword spirit's shoulder. "I want to be  _ with _ you, Ghirahim. Not use you, I- I kept thinking that if I told you, something bad would happen that would make you go away, I didn't mean to hurt you instead."

"That's idiotic," Ghirahim scoffed, shaking his head. "Your insecurities are showing, Link."

"I know," he whispered. "I'm sorry. Really. I... need to be a better boyfriend, a better sword master, to you. For you. Hylia, I'm such an idiot."

"Yes, you are." Ghirahim tilted his head slightly, glancing at Link from the corner of his eyes. "What would have happened to you, had you not done as Her Grace ordered?"

"Executed. For treason against Hyrule and the royal family," Link mumbled against Ghirahim's skin. "I was worried that if I said anything, the punishment would still stand. I... lied to them, to convince them that I was just spying, at first." 

Ghirahim chuckled. "If you consider skinny dipping and making out in a river as  _ spying _ , then be my guest-"

"Hey!" Link lightly hit Ghirahim's stomach, causing the sword spirit to laugh loudly. Link smiled, but soon frowned. "I really am sorry, Ghirahim. I should've told you sooner. I'm sorry that I ended up hurting you instead of protecting you like I thought I was doing."

Ghirahim grumbled something under his breath, before sighing loudly. "As long as you aren't withholding any more information from me, consider yourself forgiven. Granted, you still broke my trust, and I can't exactly say you are completely forgiven, but I can't stay mad at you," he said quietly, straightening his back. It cracked quietly, and Link's ears twitched slightly at the sound. "We have more to talk about, don't we?"

"Yeah... we do. A lot more." Link stood up, stretching as he offered a hand for Ghirahim to take. "Do you wanna keep talking in the kitchen? I can make some hot cocoa."

"It's summer and you want hot chocolate?"

"...yes." 

Ghirahim sighed. "Fine, but I'm not going to pause the conversation just because of your want for a certain beverage. I still expect you to explain everything else you said the other night."

Link swallowed. "Yeah, yeah I'll explain it, I just need more time and something in my system."

Ghirahim nodded, and Link was grateful for it. Neither had changed, and both were still wearing what they wore to bed, except the fact that Link had put a loose fitting shirt on. 

Ghirahim sat at the table, and Link began to prepare the drink for the both of them. "Anything specific you want to talk about right now?"

"You've mention a couple of other things, my dear." Ghirahim placed his head on the table, humming. "Killing people, despite the fact that you were in a war, seems to contradict itself. Do you mind expanding on your thought process of that first, before we talk about why you aren't happy?" 

Link grabbed the counter, clenching it with a groan. Right. He forgot he mentioned that bit. "The mutiny-"

"Wasn't your fault-"

"Their families are grieving over someone that  _ I _ killed."

"I'd rather them grieve than I."

Link scowled, fingers tapping quickly on his counter. "I'd rather none of us have to grieve over a death that didn't have to occur. If you weren't ordered to change that one soldier, this wouldn't have happened, but it  _ did _ and I killed all of those people, all of those men-"

Ghirahim sighed. "Dwelling on 'ifs' is going to ruin your moral compass and mental state. You were defending yourself." The sword spirit frowned, scratching the side of his face slowly. "You're blaming yourself for a death that happened during a war, it was bound to happen eventually."

"But what if-"

"Link, what did I  _ just _ say about dwelling on 'ifs'?" That shut Link up, and he thinned his lips, watching the concoction of ingredients he threw into a saucepan that would soon turn into the chocolate drink he was craving. He heard Ghirahim tap on the table. "Families were going to grieve either way, whether the soldier died at the hands of the opposing army or from your hands."

Link sighed, pouring the hot chocolate into a couple of mugs once he finished it, and put the pan aside in the sink, filling it with water before he made his way to the kitchen table, sliding Ghirahim his mug before sitting down. "It's not that simple-"

"It is." Ghirahim took a sip of the drink, licking his lips slightly. "I had sent my own army to fight the first chosen hero when I was under Demise's control. Some refused to fight, turning to fight me instead so they wouldn't have to die at the hands of the hero, and I killed them for going against me."

Link blinked rapidly at Ghirahim, eyebrows raising at the confession. "That's- that's not the same-"

"Is it really though? Your men went against you, so you killed them. Mine did the same, so I killed them."

"They didn't want to die-"

"Neither did yours." Ghirahim pulled at his ear, tapping at his diamond earring for a moment. "It's the same difference. You are not at fault for your actions. You were in a war, causalities happen. It's only natural."

Link grumbled, sipping at his hot chocolate as he leaned back in his chair, resting his feet on the table, the edges of the table digging into his skin dully. "It's not that simple, Ghira."

"Yes it is, you just need more time to adjust and realize that you're not responsible for everyone's death," he grumbled, standing up to put his mug in the sink. Ghirahim tapped on Link's shoulder when he returned to his seat. 

"Fine, whatever, it's that simple, I'm over my guilt now, you solved all my problems Ghira, thank you  _ so _ much," Link said, rolling his eyes. Ghirahim smirked, cupping his chin as he got comfortable once more. 

"You're very welcome, I am happy to be of assistance to you."

"Fuckin' prick," Link grumbled, and he pretended not to hear Ghirahim laugh from hearing his comment. "In all seriousness though, I can't say for sure if knowing that you did the same as me makes me feel any better."

Ghirahim tapped his chin. "If it's any consolation, empathy isn't a strong suit of mine," Ghirahim said, glancing at their wooden clock. It was getting late. It was unfortunate they had ruined their sleeping schedule, considering Link still had work to return to eventually, and he needed to go back to Faron Woods to continue to build their new home. 

"Yeah..." Link trailed off, finish the rest of his hot chocolate. "I'm sorry. For saying that I wasn't happy with you."

Ghirahim sighed. "I was upset, at first, but I think I understand what you were trying to get across at the time."

"Really?" Link tilted his head, curiously. 

"Yes, really. Link why- can you explain? Why you don't feel happy here, with me, with yourself," Ghirahim asked softly, reaching to grab Link's hand. He's been doing it so often the past couple of days, it felt weird when Link didn't immediately go to intertwine their fingers together. 

He swallowed, glancing down at his lap, tapping his finger on Ghirahim's hand. "I... don't know how to explain it. I just  _ don't _ ."

"Can you try to? Please?" Ghirahim squeezed Link's hand, his gaze soft. "I can't try to help you if you don't speak to me."

"I know- I know, just, give me a second," Link grunted, looking up at the ceiling. His eyes darted over to the window, as if to look for someone outside that was doing something at this late of an hour, but the curtains were closed, preventing Link from momentarily escaping the room without leaving. He sighed internally. "I don't... feel right. I don't feel like I have a purpose anymore, like I already fulfilled what I was suppose to do in life."

Ghirahim furrowed his brow in thought. "What do you say your purpose was?" He asked, rubbing the back of Link's hand encouragingly.

Link narrowed his eyes at the table. "Like my purpose was to be fighting something or someone. I don't have anything to fight anymore, or something to fight for. It's so quiet. I haven't... I don't know how to live like this," he explained, not lifting his gaze to look at Ghirahim. He licked his lips, fixating on the ticking of their clock like he's done a million times now. "I had a lot of things to deal with growing up and I couldn't... I joined the army, to get out of there, and I was just always fighting. Now that I'm not I feel so... empty, and sad," he said quietly, his hand limp in Ghirahim's grasp. 

He felt tears prickle in the corner of his eyes, and Ghirahim squeezed his hand once more after Link sniffled. "Is that all?" 

Link pressed his forehead against the table, closing his eyes as he rubbed his hand against the fabric of his pants, the feeling of his against his hand distracting him momentarily. "No, no it isn't, I just-" Link paused, gathering his thoughts together. Ghirahim didn't say anything, comforting the man as best as he could. "I don't feel like I belong in my body, like- like Hylia just threw me into a body just to give me the middle finger. I just... feel numb constantly, and I keep expecting it to be a prank or- or something, but it isn't, and the feeling doesn't go away. Like it's always there, just... underneath. You know?" 

Link brought his head up, resting his cheek against the table with a sigh as he looked at Ghirahim, his lips tugged down into a frown. "I can't say I understand, no, but please, keep going."

Link huffed as he wiped his eyes, but nodded anyways. He didn't he realize he started crying. "I know I should be happy, and I know that anyone in this position  _ would _ be happy," he said, placing his hand on the table, dragging his hand across the surface, fingertips tracing the grain of the wood. "But I'm just  _ not _ and I don't know  _ why _ . I ended a war, I have you, a home, a job, I should be  _ happy _ , because there are so many people who don't have what I have." Link bit his lip, looking away from Ghirahim. "I don't know, there's something wrong with me," Link sighed, burying his face in his hand.

Ghirahim sighed. "Link, there's nothing wrong with you, you're just- you're depressed, Link."

Link lifted his head up, lips pulled back. "Wait, no, I'm not- Ghira, fuck, no, I'm not-"

"Yes you are-"

" _ No _ , I don't- there are plenty of people out there," he waved his free hand towards the window, "that went through worse than me that have a reason to be depressed, Hylia, I'm not-" Link trailed off, rubbing his forehead, glad that Ghirahim had allowed him to finish. "Ghirahim I'm  _ not _ depressed, I shouldn't be depressed."

"Yes, you are," Ghirahim insisted, now holding Link's hand with both of his. "It doesn't matter  _ why _ other people are depressed, the point is is that  _ you _ are, and it isn't something that is comparable." Ghirahim bit his lip, thinking to himself. 

"I don't think I am," Link said underneath his breath.

"We'll see a doctor, then. We can get you tested and get you help, so that you don't feel like this everyday, Link-" Ghirahim wiped his eyes, and Link didn't even realize how much this must have been affecting the sword spirit. "-this isn't healthy. If you don't think so, then that is  _ fine _ , but please, let me take you to someone and see if it's confirmed or not. If not, then we'll figure something else out, okay?" 

Link scrunched his nose up. "I really don't think I am, Ghirahim..."

"Please, Link. For me?"

Link groaned. "I hate when you do that," he sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Fine, I will, you're lucky I like you," he grunted, squeezing Ghirahim's hand. 

The sword spirit smiled as he stood up so he could lean over the table and press a kiss against Link's forehead. 

Despite the unhappiness that he had been feeling over the past... however long, he still felt the comfort and safety that came with being around Ghirahim, and he was glad for it- glad he had Ghirahim by his side. 

"Thank you," Link whispered, tilting his head up.

"Of course," Ghirahim said, equally as quietly, as he pecked Link on the lips. "Anything for you."

Link flushed at the comment as Ghirahim laughed when he noticed Link's cheeks reddening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LMAOOO I AM SO SORRY FOR MISSING THE LAST TWO UPDATES. i had training on tuesday and i just forgot on thursday because i was tired and had to fill out my taxes. ill post chapter 26 today, chapter of Vitality tomorrow, and then chapter 27 on sunday, and we'll be back on our regularly scheduled program :)


	27. Chapter 27

Link is nineteen when he is diagnosed with major depression and generalized anxiety. Ghirahim wanted to say that he also had post traumatic stress disorder, but the doctor said something about it being “too soon” to diagnose. Which was fine by him. Link was already upset at the fact that Ghirahim was right. 

The doctor just told him to seek out a therapist and if that didn’t work after some time to tell him during the next checkup so that they could talk about potential medications. The thought of taking meds made Link feel weird, but Ghirahim reassured him that it was normal to have to take daily supplements. 

He was a war hero for fucks sake. He joined the army the day he turned eighteen, training for months before the war began, two days after the Day of Din. The war went on for more than half of the year, not ending until June, and the only thing that Link had to show for it was being deranked, discharged, and then diagnosed with a couple of mental illness’. 

Link felt like shit over it, to say the least. 

“I shouldn’t have to take meds just to feel fine,” Link grumbled, his hand held tight in Ghirahim’s, their fingers interlocked. They two were walking through Castle Town, having just left the doctor’s appointment that Ghirahim had set up for him not too longer after their talk. 

“You’re not taking medications, my dear, it was just a suggestion in case the therapy doesn’t work,” Ghirahim said, sighing softly. He looked around the plaza, before deciding to just take a seat by the water fountain. “Which you  _ are _ going to.”   
  
“I know, I wasn’t gonna fight you on that anyways,” Link said, leaning his head onto Ghirahim’s shoulder. He closed his eyes, yawning slightly. “What do you wanna do for dinner?” He asked, blinking quickly as he watched the kids play in front of them. He frowned when he thought of Mask, and pushed that thought away. Mask was okay, Proxi was with him after all.

“Would you like to eat out or at home?” Ghirahim leaned his head against Link’s, watching the scene in front of them as well. The children were running around the plaza, as always, playing tag at first before venturing off to play hide and seek. “There’s a new cafe that specializes in crepes, if you would like to go there. Otherwise I could make something when we go home.”   
  
Link hummed. “Crepes sound good. Are you paying, or are you gonna tip?” Link asked, pulling his wallet out so that he could count how many rupees he had. He had enough on him to pay for a meal and then some, but they still needed to get groceries… Link counted his rupees again, just to double check that if they did get something to eat they would have enough to still get groceries. 

“Are you going to be able to stomach crepes though?” Ghirahim asked, making his own wallet appear in his hand so he could count how much money he had. Which just also appeared to be enough, so he let the wallet disappear with a quick flick of his wrist. 

Link sat there for a moment, tugging at his white tunic in thought. “I doubt I’d be able to finish it,” he said quietly, placing his free hand over his stomach. “Let’s just go get groceries and make crepes at home instead,” he suggested, standing up, pulling Ghirahim to his feet while he was at it. 

Ghirahim smiled, leaning forward and he pressed a small kiss on the corner of Link’s lips. “Sounds like a plan,” he said, pulling back. “Usual store?”   
  
“Usual store.” Link nodded, confirming the statement, as the two began to walk in the direction of the grocery store. It was a small, local business, ran by someone from Kakariko village who came looking for opportunity. Ghirahim said that the man reminded him of a Goron he met named Gorko. “It’s getting colder,” he mumbled leaning in Ghirahim as if that would provide him any warmth. 

“It’s almost November, of course it’s going to get colder,” Ghirahim laughed, swaying slightly, nearly making Link fall over with a shout. Ghirahim smirked at the Hylian as he dragged the man inside the building. 

“Evening!” The shop owner, Kae, shouted, waving at the couple, who smiled in greeting. “Anything you’re looking for in particular?” 

“We’re just getting groceries, and some other things, we should be able to handle it though, thank you Kae,” Link said, smiling. Ghirahim waved at the man as the weaved in between aisles, whispering to each other on whether or not they really  _ needed _ this. Which then just led to the two bickering quietly, and Ghirahim winning by just putting the item in their basket, despite Link’s complaints. 

They had checked out, Link paying for the groceries despite Ghirahim already pulling out his wallet, and Kae had bid them a farewell, and was waving happily at the two as they left. 

The walk home was uneventful, and less people were outside now that the weather decided to become chillier, the wind biting at their skin harshly. Link wanted to pull his tunic up to cover his face, but leaving his stomach bare to get tormented by the cold winds didn’t seem too appealing. 

Link was more than grateful when they returned home, where it was warm and he could put something warmer on after taking a shower. “Something warmer” was really just putting on a tank top with one of Ghirahim’s oversized sweaters on top.

When Link got out of the shower, hair towel dried thoroughly and Ghirahim’s sweater hung off his shoulders loosely. Speaking of such, Ghirahim was in the kitchen, already attempting to make the crepes. There were some that were slightly burnt on the edges that Link saw Ghirahim munching on while trying to perfect flipping and not burning the rest of the crepes. 

Link snuck up behind Ghirahim, resting his chin on Ghirahim’s shoulder, arms wrapped around Ghirahim’s waist. The sword spirit turned his head momentarily to kiss Link, but turned his attention back to the pan in front of him. The taste of crepes was heavy on the demon’s lips, and Link couldn’t help licking his lips.

It was sweet. He was looking forward to eating some of it when Ghirahim finished preparing it. 

“How was your shower?” Ghirahim asked, putting the crepe onto a plate off to the side, before he poured more of the batter onto a plate. Link watched the process, entranced.

“It was good. You weren’t there though, so,” he joked, nipping at Ghirahim’s neck before he went to grab a glass and fill it with water. “Do you know when my appointment with my therapist is?”

“It’s next week Monday. Tell your bosses that you’ll have to take the day off for health reasons. It’s from one to two, think you can manage?”

Link sighed. “As long as I’m not getting special treatment for ending the war, then yeah, I can manage.”

“Good.” Link could practically hear Ghirahim’s smile, and Link felt warm at the image as he sat down at the kitchen table, sipping on his glass of water slowly. “Would you like strawberries or bananas on your crepe?”

“Do you think both would be good?” Link asked, tracing his finger over the rim of his glass. “Seems like it would be good.”   
  
“I suppose it should be good, though I can’t say for sure. Would you still like one of both?”

“Yes please.”

When Ghirahim finished the preparing the crepes, the two ate their dinner happily. Granted, Link only ate half of his crepe, while Ghirahim finished all of his, and put Link’s crepe away in the fridge for the man to eat later. 

It was an easy day, despite when they had to see a doctor that afternoon. Seeing the doctor made Link uneasy, especially talking about everything that happened, and he was glad he was able to talk to the doctor one on one without Ghirahim in the room. 

Telling Ghirahim the events of his past wasn’t something he was ready to talk about with Ghirahim just yet, but he wanted to tell the sword spirit about it someday. Just not at that moment when he was trying to prove to Ghirahim that he was fine. 

Which turned out he wasn’t, technically speaking, if being diagnosed with depression and anxiety was anything to go by. It was… It hurt his pride, a little bit, having something like this effect him on a day to day basis. He handled so many things that could’ve killed him, and now he has to seek help when his mood is bed for longer than normal. 

Link still isn’t entirely convinced that the diagnosis was right, but he wasn’t going to fight Ghirahim or his psychiatrist now that it happened. He just… had to go to therapy, get better, pray to Hylia that he doesn’t have to take any meds, and then live his life peacefully with Ghirahim.

He just had to do this one thing. Nothing more, nothing less, it was fine. 

Link could do this, even if he didn’t really want to. For Ghirahim. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dang... this is almost done. like three weeks until it's over. this is exciting :D also omg almost 3k hits you guys flatter me. 
> 
> anyways i have to head to work in an hour and i have a hole in my sock.
> 
> still sorry for missing the tues/thurs update :(
> 
> also lmao my dumbass doesnt remember this at all so im gonna reread it later tonight just cause i can. also can reread Vitality, which, also, if you haven't read it please do :0


	28. Chapter 28

“Do you think this is… helping you? In any way?” 

Link sighed, rubbing his forehead. “No, I don’t.” Link looked around the small room, his lips pursed. He was uncomfortable where he sat in the uncomfortable chair that he was very much used to. Unfortunately. 

It's been a couple of months since Link was diagnosed and began going to therapy. He doesn't feel as tense, sometimes, now that he has an outlet of some sort, but he couldn't say that his mood changed at all now that he had a therapist. 

His therapist, Chris, sighed, crossing her legs as she got comfortable in her seat. "Link, how do you feel about taking medication for your depression and anxiety?"

Great. The one thing he was trying to avoid. "I'd prefer not to, really. I don't think taking a potion designed to mess with my head isn't gonna really... help." Link scratched at the armrest, tapping his foot against the ground, licking his lips. This was... annoying. 

Chris hummed. "I highly suggest you get back in contact with your doctor, the one that diagnosed you, as soon as you can. If this," she gestured to the room, to Link and herself, "isn't working to improve your mood, then medication might be what you need."

Link wanted to cross his arms over his chest like a child, but he resisted the urge, instead groaning to himself. "Chris, I really don't think that it would work."

"If it doesn't work, you can stop taking the medication. That simple."

"It really isn't."

"Yes it is." Fuck this conversation for sounding a little too familiar, but he wasn't going to dwell on that. Tried not to dwell on it. "I'm sure your family and boyfriend would appreciate the effort you put in to get better."

Link felt his brow twitch, and something upsetting curled in his stomach when she mentioned his family. He's pretty sure his parents couldn't care less about him, besides the money his dad claims he needs now that Link was claimed a war hero, but aside from that he doubts his family cares. Maybe his sisters did.

He chewed his lip and his therapist sighed. "We're out of time now anyways, Link. Do set up an appointment with your psychiatrist to talk about medication, though. I'll see you next week." She stood up, opening the door to her office, and Link sighed, stepping out. 

She walked him out to the waiting room, making idle chatter that he was barely present for. He heard her call for someone else's name when he stepped out, and he tugged on his ear, going up to one of the desks. 

"Checking out?" The receptionist grinned up at Link, and Link blinked, slightly distracted when he noticed the woman chewing gum.

"Uh- yeah, I am."

"Who'd you see?"

"Chris."

The receptionist hummed, and began writing something down. He drummed his fingers against the counter as quietly as he could, slowly growing impatient. "Are you still seeing Chris every week?"

"Yep."

"Okay, and would you like to set up another appointment afterwards?"

"Uh, yes please. Could you also uhm-" Link paused, thinking on if he should actually do this or not. "When is the next time Doctor Gaires has a spot open? For an appointment, I mean."

The receptionist hummed, before she stood up, brushing her hair back as she began to look through some files that she had. The silence stretched on for a few minutes, and Link wish Ghirahim was there to make some sort of conversation to fill the silence. 

"Ah, yes, here it is, Doctor Gaires," the receptionist looked back up at Link, smile never faltering, "the soonest he has a spot open is in a few weeks on Thursday, the 23rd of January. Would you like that?"

Link frowned. That's not as soon as he would like, but it would have to do. "Yes please."

"Alright, so that an appointment with Chris for next week Monday and an appointment with Gaires on the 23rd. Is that all?"

"Yeah."

"Alright! You're all set." The receptionist slid a piece of paper towards Link, summarizing his appointment. "Have a good day!"

"Thanks, you too," he murmured, glad he could finally leave.

There were other people that were in the waiting room, many adults and there was the occasional child that Link saw. His heart ached, hoping that the kids there were doing okay and weren't having a horrible childhood like he did. 

Stepping out of the building made Link pull his coat tighter around his body, hiding his face in his scarf. It was snowing, and the weather was barely starting to get any better, if at all. He tried to convince himself that it was getting warmer though, as he walked through the snow, on his way back to his home. 

The streets of Castle Town were empty, now that it was colder out. Some of the children were playing, chucking snowballs at each other, while adults hurried to their next destination, to escape the cold. Link could relate- he hated being outside in this kind of weather. 

The only plus side of winter was the fact that he could see Ghirahim more. Since winter started, Ghirahim had been staying home more often, rarely going to Faron to work on their new home or help the Kikwi now that they were hibernating. One of the stores that Link worked at ended up closing, so he only had his part time job at the mask shop. Hopefully they could survive off of one paycheck for long enough, at least until their new home was ready to move in to. 

Link kicked the snow off his boots once he entered his home, shaking the snow off of his coat and scarf. "I'm home!" He shouted, putting his coat and scarf up while he toed his boots off. 

"Welcome home!" Ghirahim shouted back from where he sat on the couch. Link could see the top of his head over the armrest, assuming that Ghirahim was laying down. He leaned over the back of the couch, raising a brow when he noticed the sword spirit reading a book about black magic. "How was the appointment?"

"Same old, same old," Link grumbled, leaping over the back of the couch, landing on Ghirahim's stomach, causing the man to gasp, groaning loudly. Link adjusted himself, so he was straddling Ghirahim's hips. He laughed when Ghirahim pushed at Link's chest as the man threw his book onto the floor, before placing his hands over Link's hips. "Why were you reading about..." Link leaned over to the side, to look at the cover of the book once more. "Yeah, black magic, why are you reading about black magic?"

"Why should I answer you when you just ruined my ribcage," Ghirahim grunted, before he sighed dramatically, placing a hand over his forehead. "I could've died from you just jumping on top of me."

"You fought an entire army in a war and you're gonna let an average sized man kill you?" Link joked, raising a brow. 

"I was ambushed!" 

"Oh, shut up!" Link laughed, before he went to go pick up the book that Ghirahim tossed on the floor. He skimmed through the pages, brow furrowing when he realized he couldn't really read the contents inside. "What is the written in?"

"Old Hylian, it's what I grew up with. Some of the translations in it are... not the best, but the author did a good job," Ghirahim said, rubbing his thumb over Link's hipbone. He tilted his head slightly. "Although I couldn't care less about the contents of black magic, I practice in it, so there's no real reason for me to be reading this."

"Why are you reading it then?" Link pursed his lips, attempting to read the book. There were some words that he recognized, and sometimes he tried to take context clues and guess what the sentence was about, but he was pretty sure that he was wrong. "If you already know this stuff, anyways."

"Just to pass the time," Ghirahim shrugged, pulling the book from Link's grasp, and placing it on the table besides the couch. "It's not often I find books written in Old Hylian, anyways."

Link furrowed his brow. "Can you teach me?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Can you teach me how to read Old Hylian?" Link repeated, leaning forward. He placed his hands on Ghirahim's shoulder, leaning forward, his blond hair forming a curtain around the two, as Link smiled softly. "I wanna learn your first language."

"It's not much of a first language, it's still Hylian, but it's just like a, ah," Ghirahim paused, scratching his cheek. "Like a dialect."

"Okay, point still stands, I wanna learn it," Link said, pouting slightly. 

"You don't just want to learn how to read Old Hylian just so you can learn magic, do you?" Ghirahim raised his brow, and Link turned his head already slightly, not bothering to hide the guilt the crossed his features, but he smiled anyways. Ghirahim sighed. "Link, I don't think you can even use magic."

Link sat up, just so he can cross his arms. "I think you're being prejudice against me. Just cause Hylians-"

"That is  _ not _ what I meant, Link, Hylia-" Ghirahim pinched the bridge of his nose, massaging it slowly. "I just don't believe that, with the hero's spirit, you would be able to use this type of magic, but if just so happened to teach yourself it after you learn how to read Old Hylian, than that's how it is, now isn't it?"

Link grinned widely as he pulled Ghirahim's hand away so he could kiss Ghirahim's face, saying "thank you" in between each kiss, causing Ghirahim to laugh loudly, slapping at Link's side gently. "Link, Link, I get it, you can stop now," he laughed, smiling as Link leaned back once more. 

"Thank you," Link said once more, pushing his back slightly. "When can we start?"

Ghirahim sighed. "After you tell me about your appointment with Chris." Link groaned, which caused Ghirahim to laugh loudly. "You can't distract me from the topic no matter how hard you try, Link."

"It was worth trying anyways," he grunted, patting at Ghirahim's chest. "It went fine. Had to set up an appointment with the doc to talk about getting on antidepressants."

Ghirahim's brow pinched together. "I thought the therapy was working?" Ghirahim sat up, and encircled his arms around Link, the Hylian staying in Ghirahim's lap. 

Link placed his arms over Ghirahim's shoulders, wincing slightly. "It kind of wasn't?" His was pitched higher, slightly, before he shook his head. "I felt a little bit better, but not like how I felt when I was in the army, which was like, maybe the best I felt?" Link hummed, tilting his head up to think to himself, before nodding, confirming his previous statement. 

The sword spirit sighed. "When's the appointment? Hopefully it's soon, I don't want you to spend anymore time feeling like this," he said quietly, frowning in the process. 

"It's gonna be towards the end of the month, nothing too bad. That was the only open slot he had, apparently," Link grumbled, waving his hand around slightly. "Which makes sense, but I might cancel it before it happens."

"If you cancel your appointment, I  _ will _ revive Ganondorf once more so someone could beat some sense into you," Ghirahim threatened, but Link just snorted at the thought. "You may be a war hero, but you're still Hylian, Link," Ghirahim said softly, and Link sighed. "You're not immune to these kinds of thing."

Ghirahim placed his hand over Link's cheek, and Link leaned into the touch. "I know, it's just hard sometimes."

"I know, darling, but you'll get past it, hm?" Ghirahim patted Link's cheek, and the hero pushed his hand away from his face with a grunt. Ghirahim chuckled. "You always do."

"At least someone believes in me," Link mumbled, starting to play with Ghirahim's hair. He licked his lips. "Can I get a kiss?"

"I don't know, can you?" Ghirahim retorted. With a huff, Link stood up, a grin on his lips despite the fact that he tried to be serious as Ghirahim grabbed his wrist, dragging him back to his lap. "I was just kidding you brat-" Link cut him off by pecking him on the lips, laughing as Ghirahim pushed him off of him and onto his back, before leaning over him, scowling. "You are a nuisance," he grumbled. 

"You love me," Link said, cupping Ghirahim's cheek as the sword spirit got into a more comfortable position above him.

"Yes, I do, don't I?" He hummed, kissing Link before the man had the chance to reply. Link smiled into the kiss, bringing his hands up to Ghirahim's hair, fingers threading through white locks, grinding his hips down against Ghirahim’s, eliciting quiet moans from the man. 

Learning Old Hylian could wait for a few more minutes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i went to school for two hours and i went on my phone to play music and then text my dad to set up an appointment but it got taken away before i could and it was upsetting cause ive just been having a hard time lately so i went home after that lmao 
> 
> also yes Wars' therapist is literally named after my therapist, dont talk to me. also Gaires is based off of my actual therapist


	29. Chapter 29

It's been a few months since Link had been prescribed antidepressants, a months worth of the bright blue potion. Link is twenty at this point, his birthday having come up recently now that it was the end of May. Winter had come and gone, and Link's mood had lifted drastically ever since he started taking the potions, but he would never admit it out loud. 

The moment winter ended, Ghirahim left to Faron Woods to finish working on their home, and it wasn't until the middle of April did Link get to quit his job and finally leave Castle Town to move into the house Ghirahim built for them in Faron. 

He was happy. Link was  _ happy _ , and the night they moved in he cried from joy. He had a long conversation with Ghirahim that night, about everything. Mainly about how the antidepressants, along with the therapy (which became every other week due to the fact that he lived in Faron Woods now) had began to work for him. 

Granted, at first it just gave him the energy to leave his bed and eat, but over time he started to realize that the numb feeling he had slowly went away. It just so happened that he didn't realize he was genuinely happy when they moved into their new house. 

It was cozy, and the Kikwis lived close by. Ghirahim said he made a small door so that Machi could come by whenever he pleased, and Link was glad that Ghirahim was coming around to the Kikwis. 

There was also the added fact that Ghirahim did begin to teach Link how to read Old Hylian after their initial conversation about it. Granted, it still took Link some time to properly understand it when he read it, and he didn't even attempt to speak it when he first heard Ghirahim say something in Old Hylian, some of the words twisting his tongue. He was slow at reading it, but he getting there. Eventually.

Link had yet to begin to learn magic, and he doubt he would after Ghirahim explained his experience with magic to Link. Granted, the sword spirit said it was different for him since he was a  _ sword _ , but it still caused Link to cringe away from the idea of learning magic. But he still found it really cool. 

Link started to wear the green tunic more often now that he and Ghirahim were left alone and to their own devices in Faron Words, but he was still wary of the idea of people recognizing him. There were some travelers that wandered through the woods and asked him for help, which of course he did, but he liked the simple life of just not having any responsibilities. 

It was also during this time did Link explore his bound with Ghirahim more thoroughly. Apparently when Ghirahim said he couldn't leave was true, explaining that unless he or Link died, the bound couldn't be severed. "So, we're basically married," Link said, swinging his sword around lazily at the thought. 

Ghirahim blushed lightly, looking away from the man as he raised his saber. "Yes, I suppose we are, if you want to think about it like that," he said quietly, most of his attention on his sword, as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. "Link, how long would you say we've been together?"

"No idea," he snorted, shrugging as he sheathed the sword. He got used to how light the saber was after some time, finally, and he was appreciative of the blade. "We met on Skyloft in February, I think? If we go from there, it's been more than a year," Link explained, rubbing his chin in thought.

"And we've been bound since the war ended." Ghirahim let his own sword disappear, before he sat down in the grass, humming. "Which is what, around nine months?"

"Something like that," Link murmured, moving so that he could sit next to Ghirahim. "We've been with each other awhile, huh?"

"Yes, and we've lived with each other since the war ended, so even more time spent with the other," Ghirahim explained, grabbing Link's hand. The two gazed up at the sky, watching as the clouds drifted by slowly. 

Link sat up, using his elbow to prop himself up. "Hey, let's get married," he said suddenly, watching as Ghirahim's eyes widened before the man shot up, looking at Link confusedly. 

"I'm sorry, can you repeat yourself? I'm not sure I heard you properly," he said, brow furrowed as he studied Link's face, mouth opening and closing. 

Link laughed, tilting his head, blonde locks falling to the side. "I said, let's get married," he repeated, grabbing Ghirahim's hand. 

The sword spirit glanced down at their conjoined hands, before he huffed. "You didn't even get me a ring to propose with, but fine, I accept your offer," he grumbled, leaning forward to kiss Link.

The Hylian kissed the sword spirit feverishly. He felt like he was on a high. He wasn't even planning on something like this happening that day, when they had left to spar after Link played hide and seek with the Kikwis. 

Pulling back, Link couldn't help his grin that refused to falter. "Should we get something to show that we're engaged now? Or should we just like, start planning for a wedding?" He couldn't stop all the thoughts that he had, all of the questions that kept popping up. 

Link was going to ask Ghirahim if he wanted an engagement ring or if he just wanted to wait for the wedding ring after their wedding, but his thoughts were cut short when he saw the sword spirit begin to take off one of his diamond earrings, and held it out for Link to take. 

The Hylian furrowed his brow, taking the diamond earring, before he took out one of his blue hoops, replacing it with the dangling diamond. Link handed the hoop for Ghirahim to take, to which the sword spirit put the earring on where the diamond was previously. 

The weight on his ear felt... weird, and he wasn't used to something heavy like that on his ear, but he would get used to it. He's never seen Ghirahim without his diamond earrings, and he felt like this would have to do until they discussed what to do for their wedding. 

"How long does it even take to plan a wedding?" Link asked, laying back down, hand cupped over his new earring. 

"Hmm, maybe a few months? We can hire a wedding planner, and go from there," Ghirahim said, thinning his lips. "Any colors that you would prefer to have?"

"Nah." Link paused, tilting his head slightly. "Well, actually, does purple and blue seem okay with you?"

Ghirahim laughed, and Link pouted. "I'm glad you didn't say green, my dear, that would've been a horrendous combination," he chuckled, pushing his hair back. "Purple and blue seems divine." 

Link nodded, turning to lay on his stomach instead of his back. "I'm gonna make Machi my best man."

"Do  _ not _ !"

"No no, but it would be so cute!" Link shouted, laughing while he tried to suck in a breath so that he could still breathe properly. "Just imagine him in a cute like tuxedo, handing us the wedding bands-"

"I refuse!" Ghirahim yelled, swatting at Link, which just caused the blonde to laugh even louder. "Machi will do  _ no _ such thing, I won't allow it!" He shook his head quickly, before he turned away from Link.

"But it's Machi!"

"That's exactly  _ why _ he's not allowed to do!" Ghirahim huffed, before he gestured his hands in a random direction. "I'm not letting an over glorified scrub who loses his own food handle our weddings bands, Link, and I will organize everything myself if it means Machi doesn't even get to  _ touch _ those rings," Ghirahim grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

Link patted Ghirahim's leg, no longer laughing out loud because he was too busy trying to  _ breathe right _ , cause his dumbass was laughing too much and now he forgot how to breathe. "Ghira- Ghira  _ please _ , I love Machi!"

"You act like you're going to marry Machi instead of me!" Ghirahim shrieked, before he tackled Link playfully. "Give me my earring back if you want Machi so bad! I'll officiate your wedding, just go inform that Kikwi of your undying love for him and we can go do your wedding in a tree!" Ghirahim laughed, pushing at Link when the man started to kick at him lightly. 

The two began to wrestle each other, tossing the other off of them or trying to pin the other down, to no avail. Link was breathless, and was laughing at the idea of marrying Machi, even though he wanted no one else besides Ghirahim. 

The two ended up panting on the ground by each other, tired. Link breathed in heavily, relishing in the smell of the fir trees around him. "Can Machi officiate our wedding?" Link joined, turning his head to grin at Ghirahim.

"If you mention Machi one more time I will  _ ban _ him from our wedding, Link, I assure you." 

Link laughed once more, his eyes crinkling from how wide his smile was. 

Ghirahim stared at Link, smiling as well. The sword spirit was just happy to see that his lover was happy after all of the hardships he went through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me? on time for an update? more surprising than you think


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hover for content warning.

Link wasn't expecting the stress that came with planning for a wedding. 

Granted, they hadn't set a date up yet, and Ghirahim was handling most of the planning, refusing to have someone else do it once he realized that it had to be perfect, but when Ghirahim mentioned who to invite, well, Link was less than enthusiastic. 

Ghirahim mentioned how no, Ghirahim couldn't handle the guest list because he was little thousands of years old and the only person he was close to (besides Link) was the Kikwis and Kae. Who they only saw when they did their shopping at his store. 

Which then led to Ghirahim telling him that inviting Link's family wouldn't be a bad idea, to which Link said that inviting Ganondorf was a better idea than inviting his father. Ghirahim found the joke in poor taste, and then proceeded to force Link to tell him where his village was so that they could pay his father a visit. 

And that was  _ basically _ how they ended up in Link's hometown. 

Link made Ghirahim change his sword to look like a typical knight's sword instead of a demon's saber. Ghirahim was upset at first, until Link explained that some of the people in his village were very religious and if they saw it they would burn both of them alive. 

That caused Ghirahim to shut up for a bit, but it didn't stop the sword spirit from chiming in Link's head occasionally. It provided some comfort for the Hylian when he stepped up to where his old home was. 

It still looked the same as always. There was nothing new to it, and Link felt bitter looking at it. The only memories he had of the place that he actually enjoyed were of his sisters, when he would play with them and braid their hair, before his father would catch him doing so and... 

Link shook his head. Ghirahim gripped his hand tightly, trying to encourage him, as Link breathed in deeply. He hadn't been here in years, hadn't even wrote to any of them since he left to enlist in the army. How much had Ruri grown up? Did Ayla start dating?

"Hey," Ghirahim whispered, interrupting Link's thoughts. "It's gonna be okay." 

Link nodded, hoping that Ghirahim was right. His hand tightened around Ghirahim's hand, before letting go, shaking slightly as he knocked on the wooden door harshly. 

They stood outside for moments, hearing someone inside shout something incoherent, and Link felt his anxiety spread throughout his body. ' _ This was a bad idea, this was such a bad idea- _ '

The door opened slowly, and Link's sighed in relief when he saw his mother. "Hey, mom," he said quietly, smiling shyly as he waved. 

"Link?" His mother covered her mouth, tears prickling the corner of her eyes. "Oh my- Link! You're come back to me, my boy-" she hugged Link tightly, and Link raised his arms awkwardly for a moment, before embracing her, patting her back lightly. "I've missed you," she said quietly, sniffling against his shoulder. 

He was taller than her, finally. Maybe he was taller than his dad now. "I've missed you too," Link said softly, pulling back. "Is- is everyone home?" He asked, brow furrowing as he glanced into his childhood home, as if that would help him figure out who else was home. 

"Your sisters just got back from lunch with the neighbors. They should be in the living with your father," his mother explaining, wincing slightly at the mention of him. Link scrunched up his face. His mom rubbed her arm, before she glanced up over Ghirahim, her brow furrowed. "Who's this?"

Link sucked in a breath. "I'd like to introduce him in front of everyone else? If that's okay with you?" 

His mother nodded, and led the two in. Link didn't take off his boots, and Ghirahim didn't take his off either, despite the fact that both of them felt weird about walking through the home with it on their feet. "How's Ayla and Ruri doing?" He asked, glancing at the photos that decorated the place. Link frowned when noticed pictures of himself upon the wall. 

They were never pictures of him there when he was growing up.

"They're doing just fine," his mother said with a wave of her hand. "Ruri just started middle school, and Ayla started high school last year. They're still as close as ever, but they miss you, Link. We all did."

Link felt bitter. "Even dad?" He grumbled, and he heard his mother sigh as they entered the living room. Ayla and Ruri were talking about something that Link couldn't quite hear, and his father was reading something, a glass of amber liquid in hand. Link wasn't surprised at the sight of the alcohol. 

It was Ruri who first noticed him, running towards him and tackling him to the ground, and Ayla ran up to him, hugging him gently when he finally sat up. Ghirahim watched the scene from his spot by the entrance to the living room, while Link's mother went to sit by her husband.

When Link made eye contact with his father, he couldn't help but feel like he was facing off Ganondorf once more. The terror he felt, how weak he felt in his presence. Link's hands felt clammy. 

"Welcome home, Link," his father grunted, placing his book down. That wasn't what Link was expecting. "Good to see that you're finally startin' to bring honor to this family after all that bullshit." There it was. That passive aggressiveness of his father that he grew to hate. 

"It wasn't bullshit, Rupert-" Link started, but cut himself off when he saw Ayla shake her head. He sighed. "It's good to see you guys," he said quietly. He didn't come here to pick at his old scars, to start a fight. He wanted... he wanted to see his sisters, to see his mother, to tell him that he was alive and well, that he was happy and found someone to share that happiness with. 

"Is there-" his mother started, and nodded towards where Ghirahim stood by the doorframe, playing with a butterfly knife. "Is there someone you want us to meet, Link?"

Right. Okay. He could do this. It would be just like when he brought a new friend home, except now he brought the love of his life home. Easy. No big deal.

Link stood up, and grabbed Ghirahim's arm, pulling him forward gently. Ayla and Ruri went to go sit on the couch with their mother, eyeing the sword spirit curiously, but Link had a feeling that Ayla already knew what Ghirahim meant to Link. "I met someone when I was in the army," Link started, holding Ghirahim's hand. "We've been together for awhile now and- and we're gonna get married soon," he explained quickly. "I... want you guys to come. To my wedding."

The silence that follow was awkward, and Link resisted the urge to hug himself, to appear vulnerable in front of his family- in front of his father. "Can you teach me how to do my eyeliner like that?" Ayla said, pointing at her eyes. 

Link and Ghirahim blinked in confusion. "What?" Link murmured, his brow furrowing. 

The sword spirit just smiled widely. "Of course I can! Anything for my future sister-in-law," Ghirahim, said, clasping his hands together. The demon glanced at Rupert, eyes narrowing slightly at the mans body language. "I'll show you after Link and I discuss things with, ah, Rupert, was it?" 

"Go upstairs, kids," Link's mother, Lyla, whispered to Ruri and Ayla, who exchanged glanced, but went to their rooms as their mother instructed. Leaving Link and Ghirahim with the Hylian's parents. With Rupert. 

Link breathed in deeply. "I know I said-"

"I thought you were over this phase!" Rupert boomed, letting his glass fall from his hand. The amber liquid spilled and glass shards decorated the dark wood floor. "We hired so many priests to get this- this  _ evil _ out of you! You know how Hylia would feel-"

"Hylia doesn't care!" Link yelled back. He felt like he was fourteen again, when he was caught kissing one of the schoolboys that he invited over, trying to defend himself again. "I wouldn't have been the reason the war ended if Hylia cared about whether or not I like guys!"

"You're a disgrace to our name!" Rupert shouted back, standing up from his seat. Lyla grabbed his arm, trying to calm him down. He shrugged his wife off, glaring daggers at Link. "The only thing you ever did for this family was bring shame to us and put us in debt. I tried to get you fixed, and we've gone bankrupt cause of you!"

"No one said you had to pay someone to 'fix me!" Link gestured to himself.

"You didn't even need fixing to begin with, Link," Ghirahim interrupted. The demon pinched the bridge of his nose. "We should be leaving soon, we have better things to do then..." Ghirahim eyed the man, who looked like he was about to throw them out of the house anyways. "Argue with homophobic bigots, no?" He quirked a brow at the man, before turning to Lyla as he grabbed Link's hand tightly. "Do expect an invitation soon. I hope to see you and your daughters there." 

Link looked like he wanted to protest, but nodded, and waved at his mother. He wanted to say goodbye to his sisters, but knew that the sooner they got out of the house the better. 

"You should've die and never come back when you left for the war."

"Do us all a favor and burn in hell, Rupert," Ghirahim scowled, dragging Link behind him as they exited the home. Link felt dazed, felt like he was in a fever dream. He knew how much his dad had hated him, knew how much his dad didn't like that part of him, but didn't that his dad would...

"I'm sorry for forcing you to come back here," Ghirahim grumbled once they exited the household. Ghirahim kept holding Link's hand, and made his way to exit the village, putting as much distance between them and Link's childhood home as possible. "Your mother and sisters seem kind, at least." 

"Yeah..." Link trailed off, looking at his feet. They looked different, since the last time he saw them when he was seventeen. "They always wanted what was best for me."

"Hopefully they can come to our wedding then."

"Hopefully."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry i didnt update yesterday i was busy. with sleeping LMAO ill update friday instead of thursday, since im working 3 to close tomorrow and ughhhh but i dont work friday and i dont have school friday either so >:3


	31. Chapter 31

The return back to their home in Faron was quiet, and the silence followed for days on afterwards. 

Link would spend his time reading and studying Old Hylian so that he could get a better grasp on it, and Ghirahim spent his time finding a machine that was able to play music or just playing the piano that Ghirahim had bought and apparently already knew how to play. 

The Hylian enjoyed listening to the sword spirit play whatever melody that came to head, any sort of piece that he could think of. Link was glad that someone had invented music, so that in this moment, when he down in the dumps, leaning against the piano and reading a short story about a velveteen rabbit, Ghirahim could keep him company and just play. 

Play his favorite song, play something that sounded mechanical, or something that made Link feel everything all at once. There was a certain way Ghirahim played things that made Link wish he knew how to play an instrument. 

But he didn’t know how to play an instrument. So he was left to just listening to Ghirahim play his songs whenever he felt like it, for however long he felt like. It was soothing to Link, and Link assumed it soothed any stress Ghirahim had from wedding planning. 

Ghirahim wanted the wedding to go by perfectly. He understood that, and appreciated that fact as well. Link wanted their wedding to be perfect too, but how stressed they were getting from planning was unreal. 

He was glad that they both agreed on a basic suit for the both of them, though Link was a little salty when Ghirahim explained why Link had to be the one to walk down the aisle. His reasoning made sense, since the sword spirit didn’t  _ have _ parents, but he was still salty over it. 

The couple never really discussed wedding bands either, but Link trusted Ghirahim when he said that it was already handled and that they didn’t need to worry about it or plan for it. 

Link was also worried about the fact of random people showing up. He wanted a private wedding, but he knew there might be some folks from Castle Town that he didn’t know of that would want to show up. 

Ghirahim and Link went through the guest list shortly after Link brought that up. Of course, Link’s family was invite (sans Rupert), as well as the Kikwis, and Lana, but aside from that, the two weren’t  _ really _ sure who else to invite. Ghirahim wasn’t sure what happened to Volga, but Link already mentioned that  _ no _ ,  _ they were not inviting the man that burned his sides _ , and that was the end of that conversation. The sword spirit had a bitter taste in his mouth when Link mentioned inviting Zelda and Impa, but didn’t fight the man on it. 

They ended up inviting Kae, since Ghirahim wanted to, and Link invited some of the men he fought alongside side with that he ended up getting close to. Link wanted to invite Proxi and Mask, but he had no idea  _ where _ the two were, but he still prayed that they were safe and found the place that Mask deemed home. 

When Link asked Ghirahim who his best man would be, Ghirahim left for around half an hour before returning and informing Link that Lana would be his best man. Link was mad at the fact that Ghirahim got to ask Lana before he could, but he didn’t fight it. Ghirahim still held onto his “Machi can’t be the best man” rule though. Link ended up asking Zelda, since the ones that he did end up close to were in another world, or was Ghirahim’s best man. 

Zelda was more than happy to do it, and Link was glad. He didn’t really hold any bad blood against the Princess, since they were in a war and she was just trying to do what was best for her country, afterall. They occasionally spoke over tea and become more friends, since they never had the opportunity to before when Link was captain. It was easier now that he was discharged. 

Impa was happy to hear about Link’s marriage and congratulated him on it, telling him that if Ghirahim did anything to hurt the hero, she was more than happy to help “take care of him”. Link just assumed that she still didn’t trust the sword spirit after everything, but that was fine with Link. 

Their guest list wasn’t that long, but it was filled with people that the two wanted to be there, and that made it worth it. 

Link ended up handling the food and cake, talking to people about which place had the best catering, and when he found it out he took Ghirahim so that they could do a taste test. They ended up choosing a marble cake, which Ghirahim found ironic, and Link shoved the man for the comment. 

Ghirahim handled music and decoration. More like he just found the best orchestral arrangement he could and hired them without consulting Link about it. Ghirahim was on his own in handling decoration. Granted, Lana said she would help Ghirahim with decoration. 

It was decided to have their wedding in a chapel. Link said it was because he thought that it was a pretty venue and that it would make for good memories, but Ghirahim just said Link was being spiteful and petty again. Link ignored his comment, even though he knew that the demon was  _ somewhat _ true in his statement. 

The wedding planning had went on for months, and Link was relieved when they finally figured everything out. The date was already planned for May 1st, Ghirahim saying that it wouldn’t be too warm or too cold out on that day. Link hoped he was right, otherwise he was gonna throw a riot. 

Link was just glad that once they had the planning done, they just had to wait for the day to come. Everything was ready, everything was prepared, they just needed to wait a little longer and they could officially become husbands. The thought both scared and excited Link. 

But he knew it would be worth it- spending the rest of his days with the one he loved. It would be worth it. He just needed to wait. 

In the meantime, Ghirahim was playing a song off of the record player he had bought, playing an arrangement from the orchestra that he hired for their wedding. Link was seated on the couch, studying Old Hylian, when Ghirahim grabbed his hand, pulling him to his feet despite the Hylian’s protests. 

Ghirahim placed his hand on Link’s waist, still holding his other hand, and Link took the hint and rested his hand on top of Ghirahim’s shoulder. The sword spirit led the two, dancing slowly throughout their living room. 

The demon would occasionally spin Link, and Link would just laugh when doing so. It was a nice break, a nice way to relax with Ghirahim. 

“I love you,” Link murmured, resting his head on Ghirahim’s shoulder as they continued to move slowly throughout the room. 

Ghirahim sighed contently. “I love you too,” he whispered, pressing a kiss on top of Link’s head. 

Link couldn’t wait for the day he could call Ghirahim his husband. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one more chapter :)
> 
> i have to work all day tomorrow UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH


	32. Chapter 32

Link is twenty and he’s never been more nervous before in his life. 

Ghirahim and he had been planning this moment for months, and Link had spent even longer thinking about this moment, thinking about how it could all go wrong. Thinking about how right it was going to be afterwards. 

He was a jumble of nerves, and he kept adjusting his cuffs, kept wanting to reach for a sword in a sheath that he didn’t have on him. Link wanted Ghirahim’s sword close by, but he knew how inappropriate it would be in the scenario. 

“Link?” Zelda opened the door to the room he was in, and he could hear the commotion coming from outside. He would have to walk in front of all of those people, up to where Ghirahim was waiting. Where they would shared their vows, and then share their life. Shit. “Are you ready?”

“I’m anxious,” he mumbled, fixing his already straight tie. Link kept going back to adjust his suit, kept going back to try and fix something that was already in place, just to keep his hands busy. “What if something happens? Like someone comes int, and-”

“Don’t worry about. Impa’s keeping watch, and no one gets by Impa,” Zelda said, laughing as she stepped up to Link. She fixed his tie, after he had ruined it just so he could fix it and straighten it out again. “It’ll be fine. You’ll be great. Don’t worry about it.”

“I’m gonna worry about it,” he grumbled, running his hands down his chest to smooth out any wrinkles that could’ve been there. Link knew that there weren’t any there. “What if I trip?”   
  
“Isn’t your mom leading you down the aisle?”   
  
“Yes-”   
  
“Then you won’t trip,” Zelda laughed, hitting Link’s arm lightly. “It’ll be fine, I promise. Hurry up, Ghirahim’s waiting for you,” she said, giving the man a thumbs up as she slipped out of the room. 

Link rubbed his forehead, sighing. He breathed in, counted to ten, and then breathed out, like his therapist had told him to do long ago. He was okay. It was just nerves. Everyone was nervous on their wedding day. It was going to be okay. 

When Link exited the room, the chatter had already died down, and the orchestra that Ghirahim hired already playing. He blushed lightly, and walked forward to where his mother was, and hooked his arm with hers. “I’m glad you’re here,” he whispered, looking forward. 

He could practically hear his mothers smile. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” she whispered back as she lead them down the aisle. Machi and Oolo were off to the side, standing by Zelda. Oolo was the ring barrier, since Ghirahim still forbade Machi from touching the rings, but he did end up making Machi the flower… kikwi. Is that what Machi was called or was he called the flower boy? 

Link snorted quietly to himself, and pushed thoughts of Machi out of his head. It was his and Ghirahim’s day. He wanted to think of nothing else but Ghirahim. 

When Link stepped up to stand in front of Ghirahim, and watched his mother go to sit by Ayla and Ruri, he couldn’t help but tear up a little bit as Ghirahim clasped his hands in front of him. “You look stunning,” Ghirahim murmured.

“So do you,” Link said, resisting the urge to grab Ghirahim’s hands. 

“Good evening family, friends, and loved ones,” the officiate began, voice booming throughout the chapel. “We are gathered here today, with love and joy, as we witness the commitment and union between Link and Ghirahim.” The officiate paused, for dramatic effect, Link assumes, before he continues. “This union well be representative of many things Link and Ghirahim hold dear. Today, you follow in what our Golden Goddess’ represent. May you uphold Din’s power in your union, to fully embrace each other, and defend and motivate the other throughout all of your aspirations and goal. May Nayru’s wisdom help guide you throughout your life as you preserve your marriage, and may Farore’s courage help you remain resilient through any hardships that occur during your union. All the good, the bad, and the unexpected.” 

The officiate cleared his throat, and gestured towards Link and Ghirahim. “Now, Ghirahim and Link, will you please join hands and face each other?” Link and Ghirahim nodded, and were more than happy to comply. “Ghirahim, do you take Link to be your lawfully wedded husband from this day forward, to join with you, to have and told hold, and share all that is to come, through sickness and health, for richer, for poorer, to cherish and be good to, forevermore?” 

Ghirahim licked his lips. “I do.”   
  
“Link, do you Ghirahim to be your lawfully wedded husband from this day forward, to join with you, to have and told hold, and share all that is to come, through sickness and health, for richer, for poorer, to cherish and be good to, forevermore?” The officiate repeated, turning his head slightly to look at Link.   
  
Link smiled brightly at Ghirahim. “I do.” 

The officiate smiled. “Now, would the two grooms proceed to exchange their vows to the other?” The officiate smiled gently, nodding towards Link, as if indicating for him to share his vows first. 

Link swallowed the lump his throat, his hands starting to clam up as he pulled his hands free from Ghirahim’s grasp to pull his vows out from his pocket. He breathed in. Now or never. “Ghirahim, ever since I met you, you gave me strength, despite how we first met,” Link started, wiping his eyes. His hands were shaking slightly as he read from the cards that he had taken out of his pocket that contained his vows. “You made me experience things I never knew I could. You made me feel like I was special, that I was worth having and loving thoroughly. You have been with me through the worst times, and when I was at my lowest, you were there to bring me back up. I have always been with you, everyday, for years now, and I will never get tired of your presence. You make me feel like I’m worth something and that I’m more than what the Goddess’ wanted me to be. You saw who I was and looked past that, and I’m forever grateful for you. You helped me figure out that I am more than a soldier, than a former captain or lieutenant, and that I can be my own person and that I deserve to be happy.” Link’s voice cracked slightly, and he rubbed his eyes, despite the few tears that strolled down his cheeks. “Meeting you and having the opportunity to love you has been the best thing to ever happen to me.” 

Ghirahim sniffled slightly, as he scratched the back of his hand. “Link, you have both literally and figuratively freed me. I have not known someone that has taken the time to get to properly know me, despite the amount of people I’ve met throughout my life. You are amongst a small group of people who have wielded me, and I have never been more grateful to have you be the one to wield my sword, to be the only one I have deemed genuinely worthy of wielding me. You are what I look forward to whenever I wake up, and what I expect to find whenever I am lost. Your are my guiding light, Link, and you were and are the brightest thing in my life, when all else has been dismal. When I am with you, I feel whole. You complete me, Link, and you compliment me. I have become a better person because of you, and for you. You are everything I want to be and more, and I am honored that you have deemed me important enough to not only bound yourself to me as my wielder, but as well as my husband. I couldn’t have asked for anyone better than you, my love.” Ghirahim didn’t bother wiping away the tears that collected in his eyes, and Link wanted nothing more than to hug his fiance right then and there, to express how much Ghirahim meant to him, to show him how much he loved the sword spirit. 

There were clapping that came from the loved ones that sat, watching them as they showed their love. The officiate smiled. “Now, will the ring barrier please come forward with the rings?” Oolo made a small sound, before waddling up to Link and Ghirahim. 

Link chuckled, kneeling down as he could take the rings from Oolo, thanking the Kikwi quietly as he walked back to where he stood next to Machi. He handed Ghirahim the ring, while holding one in his hand still, as he held Ghirahim’s held still. 

Ghirahim chuckled, smiling happily. Their hands were shaking slightly. “Now,” the officiate started, “your rings a promise to one another. The never-ending circle is a symbol of an infinite, unbreaking love. Ghirahim, take this ring and place it on Link’s finger, and repeat after me, if you will.” The officiate waited until Ghirahim slipped the golden band over Link’s left ring finger. His finger twitched slightly, and Link willed himself to calm down. “Link, I give you this ring as a symbol of the promise I made to you today.”

“Link,” Ghirahim repeated, squeezing the Hylian’s hands, “I give you this ring as a symbol of the promise I made to you today.”

“Link take this ring and place it on Ghirahim’s finger, and repeat after me, please. Ghirahim, I give you this ring as a symbol of the promise I made to you today.”

Link breathed in deeply, unable to keep down the tears that he tried to wipe away. “Ghirahim, I give you this ring as a symbol of the promise I made to you today.”   
  
The officiate smiled. “Having pledged your love and promise to one another today in front of friends, family, loved ones, and the Golden Goddess, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and husband. You may now kiss the groom.”

Link cupped Ghirahim’s cheeks, capturing his lips in a heated kiss, faintly tasting salt from stray tears that ghosted over Ghirahim’s lips moments ago. Link cried as he stepped, back, covering his mouth as he heard all of the cheers that came from their loved ones. 

“Congratulations Link and Ghirahim! Friends and family, it is my honor to introduce to you the newlywed couple!” 

Ghirahim grinned widely, hugging Link once more, the Hylian laughing loudly when the sword spirit lifted him up, and Link wrapped his arms around Ghirahim’s neck, raising his left hand to show off the wedding band that Ghirahim had just slipped on his finger moments ago. 

He felt Ghirahim place a chaste kiss on his cheek, and he turned his head to kiss Ghirahim on the lips once more. 

Link couldn’t have asked for a better moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone :)
> 
> This is the last chapter for Teardrops. I spent all of May writing this, and I wouldn't have been able to finish it without the help of many people from the Linked Universe discord. I received a lot of support, but I mainly want to thank EstaJay. They betaed for me and helped me out when I wasn't confident in something, and they really kept me going and encouraged me to finish the story. They always gave me feedback and I love them so much. I appreciate them so much for everything they've done for me, and this story wouldn't have been what it turned out to be without Jay. So this one goes out to Jay :)
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it (or at least, I remember I enjoyed writing it, anyways). I barely remember writing this, so whenever I updated, I would reread the chapter, and it was like I was just enjoying content all over again instead of just writing it. 
> 
> Seriously though. This is the longest thing I've ever written. I'm thankful for that, and I'm glad I decided to write this. 
> 
> The actual LU part might come eventually. I've been too busy to write lately. 
> 
> I do have other content though. Feel free to read that :)
> 
> I can't believe it's over though, seriously haha. Okay, well, I guess this is it. Bye bye guys, thank you so much for reading and for all of your kudos and comments :)


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